Al Ahly vs Inter Miami First Half: Messi and Co. Were Pounded Mercilessly

The Group A match between Al Ahly FC and Inter Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday (15 June 2025) ended in a 0–0 draw in the first half. However, this did not reflect the course of the match, as Al Ahly played aggressively and relentlessly attacked Inter Miami’s defence.

From the outset, Al Ahly dominated the match. Their fast attacks overwhelmed Inter Miami’s back line. The most dramatic moment came just before half-time when Zizo was brought down by Segovia in the penalty box. Trezeguet stepped up to take the penalty, but Inter Miami’s goalkeeper, Oscar Ustari, performed extraordinarily and saved the shot.

Ustari also made several other important saves, including close-range headers and free kicks heading into the corner of the goal. He was the reason Inter Miami had not conceded until half-time.

Meanwhile, Inter Miami were far from convincing. Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez struggled to break down Al Ahly’s solid defence. Messi’s best opportunity came from a free kick that sailed over the crossbar.

Tomas Avilés committed a foul on Trezeguet that should have resulted in a second yellow card. However, referee Alireza Faghani opted to issue a warning rather than award a penalty.

Amidst the pressure, Al Ahly almost took the lead and were understandably disappointed when they failed to capitalise on a golden opportunity. Their intense pressing, coupled with the active movement of the midfielders, really put Inter under pressure.

The first half of the Al Ahly vs Inter Miami match clearly belonged to the Egyptian team. Meanwhile, Messi et al. will be hoping to improve in the second half and avoid a shocking defeat in their opening Group A match.