Suarez fills Messi void as Inter Miami beat Tigres 2-1

Miami: Luis Suarez scored a penalty in each half to give Inter Miami a 2 1 win over Tigres UANL on Wednesday, stepping up to fill the void after Lione...

Miami: Luis Suarez scored a penalty in each half to give Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Tigres UANL on Wednesday, stepping up to fill the void after Lionel Messi was ruled out of the Leagues Cup quarter-final clash.

Messi, who has battled a "minor" muscle injury since a Leagues Cup group match on August 2, returned Saturday after a two-week absence, scoring a goal after coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy.

However, the 38-year-old World Cup winner was ruled out against Tigres as Inter advanced in the cross-border club competition for teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga-MX.

"We rely on how Leo feels and it wasn't the best," Inter assistant coach Javier Morales said. "We preferred not to take risks, not to go backward in his recovery."

In a duel that produced few scoring chances, veteran Uruguay striker Suarez was the difference as Inter kept alive their hopes of regaining the title they won in 2023, during Messi's first season in MLS.