ATLANTA — Atlanta United opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium to full capacity Saturday night and a crowd of 68,455 showed up for a first-round playoff game against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the fifth-largest post-season crowd in MLS history.

They got their money’s worth as Xande Silva came off the bench and scored the game-winner for Atlanta in extra time, stunning heavily favored Miami 2-1 and forcing Game 3 in the best-of-three first-round playoff series. A deafening roar followed Silva’s goal and then the crowd began chanting “A-T-L! A-T-L!” and waving the giveaway “404” towels.

“It was everything I dreamed it would be, an unbelievable moment,” said Atlanta interim coach Rob Valentine. “It was so loud after we scored the goal, and walking back to the half time I was trying to recompose myself.”

Game 3 will be Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Atlanta defender Derrick Williams scored the equalizing goal on a set-piece header in the 58th minute, igniting the audience that had been subdued after Miami took a first-half lead. The cross came from Pedro Amador.

Downtown Atlanta was buzzing Saturday night as Billie Eilish had a concert at State Farm Arena, next door to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Between them, Eilish and Messi have 624 million Instagram followers, and their diehard followers were out in full force.

Most of the fans wore Atlanta colors, but there were noticeable patches of No. 10 Messi shirts in Inter Miami pink, Argentine sky blue and white, and Barcelona stripes. And even some of the new aqua retro Inter Miami jerseys, which the team wore for the second time on Saturday night.

Miami took the lead in the 40th minute on an opportunistic goal by center back David Martinez with an assist by Fede Redondo. Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, coming off a spectacular eight-save Game 1 last weekend, tripped outside the box, Redondo slipped the ball to Martinez, who chipped it past the Atlanta back line into the empty net.

The crowd booed as Inter Miami players celebrated.

Miami led 1-0 at halftime. Inter Miami is unbeaten this season after scoring the first goal (13 wins, 0 losses, 3 ties) while Atlanta is 1-11-7 after allowing the first goal.

Among the Messi fans in attendance were Jessica and Eric Garfias, their children Elias (7) and Genesis (9), and their nephew Aiden (7). They are Paraguayan Americans and huge fans of Messi. The children carried home-made “Let’s Go Messi!” posters.

“Elias just started playing soccer, Messi is his biggest idol, and today they won their first game, so we got tickets for the whole family,” Jessica Garfias said. “This is really exciting to be able to see him in person.”

Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba were in the starting lineup for Inter Miami Saturday night. But the fourth former Barcelona star, midfielder Sergio Busquets, did not travel due to an undisclosed illness.

The rest of the Miami starting XI included goalkeeper Drake Callender; defenders Marcelo Weigandt, Tomas Aviles, Martinez, Noah Allen; midfielders Redondo, Diego Gomez, and Yannick Bright, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and was replaced by Cremaschi at the start of the second half. Bright’s tenacious defense has been critical this season, and might have helped prevent Atlanta’s tying goal.

Matias Rojas replaced Gomez at the 84-minute mark and Leo Campana replaced Allen.

Miami entered the playoffs as the top seed after setting an MLS record with 74 points in the season. Atlanta United, which squeaked into the playoffs as a wild card, was trying to stay alive and force Game 3, which it did.

“I’m already buzzing about what that place is going to be like,” Atlanta interim coach Rob Valentino said of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “My message to the team was that these people are waiting to cheer for you, you’ve been three on the road to finish into the playoffs and you can feel the buzz getting back for them. Even all the people coming to see [Lionel] Messi, no problem. I love it, because eventually, like last time when things were going well, they were also cheering [for us]. I get it, come to see the superstars, come and see our team fight and compete but these boys aren’t done yet.”

No, they’re not.

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