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<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Messi, Alba and Busquets benched</li><li>Miami scored twice in five minutes in second half</li><li>Preparations continue for MLS season</li></ul>

VIDEO: Inter Miami get there in the end! Lionel Messi watches on as Herons beat spirited Hong Kong XI in pre-season friendly

<p>In a friendly to keep the Herons' fitness up, they made the decision to bench their starry quartet of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.</p><p>As a result, they struggled for fluency in the first-half but Robert Taylor broke the deadlock with a superb strike from the edge of the box, curling the ball into the top corner in a Messi-esque finish.</p><p>Just three minutes, later, though, Hong Kong's XI equalised, as Estonia international Henri Anier controlled a cross, appeared to fall, but picked himself up and finished.</p><div class="affiliate-button-container theme-1" data-name="Apple TV"><div class="affiliate-button"><img class="logo" height="40" width="72" src="https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcc7a7ffd2fbf71f5/bltde9ec6adb03b3414/64da04236ee63ef30ba519c5/Apple_TV_logo.jpg" style="width: 72px; height: 40px;"><span class="affiliate-text">Get your MLS Season Pass today!</span></div><a href="https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.7000?itsct=goal_mls&amp;itscg=30200&amp;at=1010l39UY" class="affiliate-button-link" target="_blank">Watch now</a></div><p>Hong Kong made 10 changes at half-time and Miami found their groove in the second half. Lawson Sunderland gave them the lead just five minutes after the restart, finishing Ryan Sailor's fine cross, after he was played in brilliantly by Leonardo Campana.</p><p>Campana himself scored a third, rolling the ball into the bottom corner from inside the box, before Alba and Busquets were introduced from the bench. And Inter put the seal on the win late on, as Ryan Sailor found the net.</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Taylor with the precision to find the back of the net 🤯 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HKGvsInterMiamiCF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HKGvsInterMiamiCF</a> I 0-1 <a href="https://t.co/cR903sY4yz">pic.twitter.com/cR903sY4yz</a></p>— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) <a href="https://twitter.com/InterMiamiCF/status/1754067249072091140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p></p>

TELL ME MORE

<p><strong>Campana</strong> took on the role of creator-in-chief with Messi on the bench, and played a beautiful pre-assist before Sunderland's goal, and then scored one himself. He and Messi could form a very potent partnership...</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sunderland finishes from inside the box to put us in the lead👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HKGvsInterMiamiCF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HKGvsInterMiamiCF</a> I 1-2 <a href="https://t.co/EjhEdHLv2x">pic.twitter.com/EjhEdHLv2x</a></p>— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) <a href="https://twitter.com/InterMiamiCF/status/1754079476105744730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">El primero del año para Campana 💥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HKGvsInterMiamiCF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HKGvsInterMiamiCF</a> I 1-3 <a href="https://t.co/jCs33W1kUZ">pic.twitter.com/jCs33W1kUZ</a></p>— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) <a href="https://twitter.com/InterMiamiCF/status/1754080273749155861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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THE MVP

<p>No blame can be attached to the Hong Kong invitational team as this was a game Inter Miami were expected to win. As a result, Martino may well have been fuming with what he saw in the first half, as the backup brigade - without Alba, Busquets, Suarez and Messi - huffed and puffed. As a result, the big loser here are the <strong>reserves</strong> who are often watching on from the bench; on this evidence, they don't really deserve many MLS minutes.</p>

THE BIG LOSER

<p>Inter Miami continue their preparation for the new season on Wednesday against Vissel Kobe. They then play Messi's old club, Newell's Old Boys, on Friday February 16.</p>

WHAT COMES NEXT?

MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐⭐

VIDEO: Inter Miami get there in the end! Lionel Messi watches on as Herons beat spirited Hong Kong XI in pre-season friendly | Goal.com

Hong Kong put up a fight against their MLS opponents, equalising before half-time, but Gerardo Martino&apos;s side got there in the end with a 4-1 win.