Inter Miami can create a club record for an unbeaten streak as Tata Martino’s men host a struggling Atlanta United at the Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami went to face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the previous encounter and came back with a narrow 2-1 win as they get set to welcome Atlanta United. The build-up to the previous game was a bit controversial, as the Canadian outfit had managed to sell more than 50,000 tickets, with the fans hoping to see Lionel Messi in action, which was not to be.
In fact, Tata Martino took a considerable gamble to rest Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets for the encounter and yet managed to come out on top. Miami only managed a narrow 2-1 victory over the Whitecaps, which extended their unbeaten run to an incredible eight games, as another one could set a club record of sorts for the Eastern Conference leaders.
Inter Miami now host Atlanta United, against whom they have a favourable recent record. The Herons have not lost in their last six meetings with the side, winning three of those across all competitions. Hence, heading into this specific encounter, Lionel Messi & Co. will be seen as favourites to continue on their unbeaten run.
Atlanta United quickly need a revival in form to steady their current campaign, as 14 points from their 14 fixtures do not paint a good enough picture. The 12th-placed outfit have struggled of late and are off to their worst start to a regular season in their franchise history.
Manager Gonzalo Pineda has come under pressure for these numbers on the table and has managed only one point from their previous five games in the regular season. Hence, there is a desperate need to get some points on board and probably get their chase of a playoff spot back on track.
Their current winless run is also the second-longest in an MLS campaign for Atlanta, and they are only two fewer than the one endured during the 2021 campaign. Atlanta United are also yet to win an away contest this year and will feel this is the perfect time to disrupt Inter Miami’s plans and get some precious points on board.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Miami
To begin with, Gerardo Martino will be ready to recall Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets, as the trio will return to the starting starting eleven straight away.
On the injury front, there are doubts about Diego Gomez, who did not feature at the weekend with an ankle sprain. At the same time, Robbie Robinson also has a knee issue to deal with, while Facundo Farias will unlikely return to the setup owing to an ACL rupture.
Ian Fray is still hoping to make a return from his ACL issue, while Serhiy Kryvtsov played the full ninety minutes on Saturday despite being a doubt for the encounter with a knock.
The presence of Messi and Suarez would likely see Martino sacrifice Saturday’s match-winner, Leonardo Campana, from the setup. However, he will be the first option on the bench in the game ahead.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Callender; Weigandt, Aviles, Krystov, Alba; Gressel, Busquets, Rojas; Messi, Suarez, Taylor
Atlanta United
Atlanta United will head to Miami without first-choice keeper Brad Guzan, following his sending off in the past weekend. Josh Cohen will assume that role between the sticks and replace Guzan. Atlanta are also likely to be without Noah Cobb, who sat out the previous encounter with an ankle problem, and might be the case with the trip to Miami.
The big blow will be the absence of leading goalscorer Giorgos Giakoumakis, who remains sidelined with a hamstring problem. There are further doubts about the fitness of Nicolas Firmino, who has had a groin issue since the US Open Cup win over Charleston Battery.
Furthermore, Tyler Wolff continues to deal with an MCL sprain, although Thiago Almada might see himself fit to some degree after he played as a second-half substitute last Saturday. There are also positive updates on Derrick Williams, who returned from a calf injury to come on as a second-half substitute.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cohen; Lennon, Gregersen, Abram, Wiley; McCarthy, Mayumba; Lobjanidze, Almada, Silva; Rios
Ways to Watch
Key Stats
- Inter Miami are unbeaten in their last eight games across the regular season.
- Inter Miami CF have won their last three home matches against Atlanta United in all competitions.
- Inter Miami are unbeaten in their last five games at the Chase Stadium.
- Atlanta United have failed to win their last nine matches in the MLS.
- Atlanta United have taken 13 points from their 14 games this season.
Player to Watch
Lionel Messi
The Argentine superstar missed the outing against the Vancouver Whitecaps which did create some controversy back in Vancouver. However, Messi will be back in action for Inter Miami against Atlanta and will be the main focus ahead of the game.
Messi will have to put in an instrumental performance to help Inter Miami mount up a club record for games unbeaten in a single regular season. Indeed, the Argentine will be the talk of the pre-match, and should perform well in the contest, then surely there’s going to be enough talk post the game.
Prediction
Inter Miami 2-1 Atlanta United
Atlanta United are in a terrible run of form coming into this crunch encounter that could add further pressure on their manager’s future. However, with that in mind, they can put up a big performance in this away game, but are unlikely to get beyond Inter Miami’s powers.
Inter Miami are in contrasting form ahead of this clash at the Chase stadium and are chasing a close record for unbeaten games. Hence, Lionel Messi & Co. will come into this clash full of confidence and likely take three more points in their quest for supremacy.