(VIDEO) Messi Assists as Inter Miami Beats NYCFC 2-0 to Clinch MLS Playoff Spot

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Rodrigo De Paul scored on an assist from Lionel Messi and Germán Berterame added a goal as reigning champion Inter Miami beat New York City FC 2-0 on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the MLS playoffs.

Luis Suárez also had an assist for Inter Miami, which won consecutive matches for the first time since July and became just the second Eastern Conference team to secure a postseason berth, joining Nashville.

The victory was Inter Miami's 14th of the season and moved the club to 52 points, second in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville. Inter Miami clinched with six matchdays remaining in the regular season.

Berterame opens scoring

Berterame put Inter Miami ahead in the 20th minute. The Mexican forward finished a quick passing move involving Messi, Suárez and De Paul, taking a pass from Suárez inside the penalty area and shooting with his right foot into the center of the goal.

The goal came from a series of one-touch passes among Inter Miami's attacking stars, with Messi helping to start the sequence before Suárez delivered the final ball.

De Paul doubles lead before halftime

Inter Miami extended its lead deep into first-half stoppage time. In the fifth minute of added time, Messi set up De Paul, who fired a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the top left corner.

The goal gave Inter Miami a commanding 2-0 advantage at the break and effectively decided the match.

Messi, who started for Inter Miami, was involved in much of the team's attacking play throughout the night, including the buildup to the opening goal.

NYCFC pushes but cannot break through

New York City FC made changes to strengthen its attack in the second half and created several chances, but could not solve Inter Miami's defense.

Nicolás Fernández Mercau squandered a strong opportunity when his left-footed shot was saved, and Luighi sent a header just wide of the post from close range.

The visitors' best chance came deep in stoppage time, when Fernández Mercau missed a penalty in the seventh minute of added time. Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair kept his clean sheet, the team's second straight shutout following its previous win over D.C. United.

Inter Miami nearly added a third goal late in the match. Brazilian substitute Riquelme Fillipi, who replaced Berterame in the second half, hit the post in stoppage time following a counterattack led by Messi. De Paul also had a shot saved by the NYCFC goalkeeper.

Inter Miami midfielder Matías Galarza was shown a yellow card for preventing New York City from taking a quick restart.

Inter Miami lineup

Coach Cristian "Kily" González started St. Clair in goal behind a back line of Gonzalo Luján, Casemiro, Micael and Sergio Reguilón. De Paul, David Ayala and Galarza formed the midfield, with Messi, Berterame and Suárez in attack.

The lineup featured several Argentine players, including Messi, De Paul, Luján and Ayala, underscoring the club's strong South American influence.

Back on track

Wednesday's win continued a recovery for Inter Miami, which had struggled for consistency in recent months. The back-to-back victories were the club's first since July and came at an important point in the season as teams jockey for playoff positioning.

Inter Miami won the MLS Cup last season and will be looking to defend its title in the postseason. Securing a playoff spot with several matches remaining gives the club an opportunity to focus on improving its seeding, which could determine home-field advantage in the early rounds.

Nashville, which leads the Eastern Conference, was the first team in the conference to clinch.

Trouble for New York City

The loss extended New York City FC's winless streak to four matches and temporarily dropped the club out of the Eastern Conference playoff positions.

With the regular season entering its final weeks, NYCFC faces pressure to regain form quickly to avoid missing the postseason. The club's attack struggled to convert chances in Miami, and the late missed penalty denied it a chance to cut into the deficit.

Inter Miami will look to extend its winning run and push for the top spot in the Eastern Conference over the remaining regular-season matches. With its playoff place secured, the club could also manage the workload of key veterans such as Messi and Suárez ahead of the postseason.

New York City FC will try to snap its winless streak in its next match as it battles to return to a playoff position.