Inter Miami ride Lionel Messi's 4-goal barrage into clash vs. Atlanta

Even as they prepare to introduce their third manager of the season, Inter Miami can rest assured that they'll always be a title threat as long as Lionel Messi still is suiting up.

After Messi's first four-goal MLS performance pulled Miami out of a rut, the club concludes a three-match homestand Saturday against Atlanta United.

Inter Miami (12-4-6, 42 points) are comfortably in second place in the Eastern Conference despite a bit of turmoil. Javier Mascherano stepped down as manager in April, and Guillermo Hoyos has served as interim manager ever since.

Hoyos, who has a longstanding relationship with Messi dating to the superstar's boyhood, will hold the position until the recently hired Cristian "Kily" Gonzalez and his staff arrive in South Florida.

Inter Miami had gone 0-2-2 to start August until Messi powered a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal last Saturday with four goals and an assist. The 39-year-old, who recently announced his retirement from the Argentina national team, chipped in his third goal in the 83rd minute and scored on a free kick late in stoppage time.

"We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player who makes history," teammate Casemiro told Apple TV. "We saw today that we have to enjoy it, keep supporting and keep competing with him because he continues to be the best. He proved it in the World Cup. We have to enjoy it because, with him, we are so much stronger."

This will be the first meeting of the season between Miami and Atlanta (6-13-3, 21 points), which isn't out of the playoff race just yet. The bottom nine teams in the East -- seventh place through last -- are separated by only eight points with roughly a third of the season to go.

The Five Stripes rank at the bottom of the conference in scoring with 25 goals. The lack of firepower cropped up again Saturday in a 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC that snapped Atlanta's three-match winning streak.

The acquisition of Designated Player Breel Embolo could help Atlanta's cause in the short and long terms. The forward for the Switzerland national team will debut for the club as soon as he acquires his visa, which could be this week.

"Everyone can score goals. Not just me. I think we'd be stupid to just hope that I'm scoring alone," Embolo said at his introductory press conference. "Trying to help my team also (without) the ball, it's an important part in football now because you don't have always the ball. Making the people around me better, that's something that I love, that everyone has fun."

--Field Level Media