Inter Miami will look to return to winning ways when they host Colorado Rapids from the MLS Western Conference.
The Chase Stadium in Florida will host this high-voltage fixture between Inter Miami and Colorado Rapids. The visitors are heading into this one on the back of a win, while the home team have not had the best of time of late.
Inter Miami are currently second in the Eastern Conference points table with 11 points in their seven games. While they did have a good start to the season, things have gone downhill of late, and every team below them has a game or two in hand which could see them slip down the table.
They have suffered without their superstar Lionel Messi and have been winless in their last three games in all competitions. The home team are heading into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw in the league and a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals first leg. They will be eager to return to winning ways here.
Colorado Rapids are currently seventh in the Western Conference with eight points in their six games. They have been a bit inconsistent since the start of the season, but a win here could help them climb up the table. In their last five league fixtures, they have won two, drawn two and lost once.
The visitors are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-2 win over Los Angeles FC. It was not as close as the scoreline suggests but they surely did struggle towards the end. However, they got the desired three points and will look for a similar result away from home against Inter Miami. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Miami
Lionel Messi has been unavailable for the home team since the 13th of March, and he is unlikely to feature in this fixture as well because of a hamstring injury. Messi is not the only one out injured, as Facundo Farías (knee), Ian Fray (knee), Nicolas Freire (hamstring), Serhiy Kryvtsov (hamstring), Federico Redondo (knee) and Robbie Robinson (knee) are all on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, the availability of Tomas Aviles and Benjamin Cremaschi depends on their fitness levels. The home team are expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Drake Callender will be in goal. Ryan Sailor and Jordi Alaba should be the full-backs for the home team, while Tyler Hall could make his first-team debut. He could feature in the heart of the defence alongside Aviles.
Sergio Busquets will be the defensive midfielder, while David Ruiz and Diego Gomez should feature alongside the Barcelona legend. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game. In attack, Julian Gressel and Robert Taylor should provide the width, while Luis Suarez should continue to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Callender; Sailor, Aviles, Hall, Alba; Ruiz, Busquets, Gomez; Gressel, Suarez, Taylor
Colorado Rapids
The visitors will be without the services of Daniel Chacon (knee), Jonathan Lewis (knee), Connor Ronan (knee) and Jasper Loffelsend (hamstring). Colorado Rapids are expected to start with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Zack Steffen will be in goal.
Keegan Rosenberry and Sam Vines will feature as the full-backs. They will look to support the centre-back pairing of Moise Bombito and Andreas Maxso. The back four will look for a clean sheet, and they will have the support of Oliver Larraz and Cole Bassett in achieving that. They will take charge as the double pivot in the centre of the park.
Calvin Harris and Kevin Cabral will feature on the flanks, while Djordje Mihailović will start as the attacking midfielder just in behind Rafael Navarro who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steffen; Rosenberry, Bombito, Maxsø, Vines; Larraz, Bassett; Harris, Mihailović, Cabral; Navarro
Key Stats
- Inter Miami have been winless in their last three matches.
- Colorado Rapids have only won two out of their last eight fixtures.
- The home team averages two goals per game this season.
- While it is still early in the season, the visitors have conceded more goals (10) than they have scored (8).
Player to Watch
Luis Suarez
Inter Miami might not be in the best of forms of late, but Luis Suarez has surely done his bit. Since arriving at the club in January, he has featured in nine official matches and has contributed towards 12 goals. The 37-year-old striker has scored seven goals and has also bagged five assists. He will look to carry on his goal-scoring form and help the team bounce back and win.
Prediction
Inter Miami 2-1 Colorado Rapids
The visitors are heading into this fixture on the back of a win, but their overall record this season hasn’t been great. While the win will surely give them confidence when they take the field against Inter Miami, they might not get the result they are looking for.
The home team have a few superstars of the game in their ranks and despite the possible absence of Lionel Messi, they should have enough in their tanks to come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
