“Inter Miami felt that [tonight] and Barcelona felt that ten years ago" - Tata Martino details impact of Lionel Messi's absence after Orlando draw

Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino bemoaned the absence of captain Lionel Messi after his side could only draw 0-0 against Orlando City in the MLS on May 16. The Herons saw their five-match winning run in the league come to an end after being held to a draw in Orlando.

Messi has been in sensational form for Inter Miami since recovering from a hamstring strain in April. The Argentine great flew to the top of the goalscoring charts as well as the one for assists, needing only nine games to record 10 goals and nine assists.

In his most recent appearance against Montreal Impact, the 36-year-old took a whack to the knee in the first half but finished the game. The knee, however, proved to be problematic as it was what kept him out of the Orlando City game.

In the absence of Lionel Messi, the Herons looked bereft of ideas on how to find a way past Orlando City, eventually failing to do so. In his post-match press conference, Martino spoke about the importance of the forward, comparing his importance at Barcelona. He said:

“Not having Leo, it is impossible to achieve the capacity he has to play the final 25 meters of the field."

“Inter Miami felt that [tonight] and Barcelona felt that ten years ago. All of the good things they did in the buildup needed him to find solutions down the field in tight spaces. We were missing that [against Orlando]."

Inter Miami must brace themselves for more games without their talismanic Argentine forward. Next month, Lionel Messi will leave his club to captain his country at the Copa America in Europe, potentially missing up to six games.

Martino must find a solution to play without the former Barcelona forward or risk his side falling behind their rivals in the race for silverware this season.

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Worrying trend continues for Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami as they draw in Orlando

Inter Miami were served a taste of what life without Lionel Messi feels like, and they surely did not enjoy it. They were held to a goalless draw by Orlando City, a side that had picked up only 12 points in 11 games heading into the game.

If there ever was a game to showcase how different Inter Miami are without Messi, it was the Orlando City game. The Herons won the reverse fixture in Florida 5-0, with Messi scoring twice and Luis Suarez also on the scoresheet. But they failed to score even once without the former on Wednesday.

Inter Miami have now won just one win in six games without Messi this season, further underlining his importance. They need the rest of their attacking players to step up in his absence if they are to succeed this season.