Inter Miami will host St. Louis City at the Chase Stadium, looking to bounce back from the defeat against Atlanta United.
Inter Miami were in impressive form prior to the defeat against Atlanta United, and they will be eager to bounce back strongly when they welcome St. Louis City SC to the Chase Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 11th in the Western Conference standings, and they are going through a disappointing run of form. St. Louis City are coming into this game on the back of three consecutive defeats, and it remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly and pull off an upset here.
Eastern Conference leaders Inter Miami will certainly be the favourites heading into this contest. With that said, St. Louis City managed to pick up a 3-0 win over Inter Miami when the two sides met in July 2023. It will be interesting to see if they can upset the odds once again. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Miami
Facundo Farias misses out with an ACL injury along with Ian Fray and Nicolas Freire, who have a similar problem. Robbie Robinson will need surgery, and he is unlikely to play anytime soon. Diego Gomez misses out with ankle problem.
Inter Miami will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation against St. Louis City, with Drake Callender in goal. Marcelo Weigandt and Jordi Alba will start in the full-back positions, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. At the heart of the defence, Tomas Aviles will start alongside Serhiy Krvytsov.
As for the midfield unit, Sergio Busquets will anchor the midfield and help break down opposition attacks. Julian Gressel and Benjamin Cremaschi will add creativity and drive to the side. Finally, Luis Suarez will lead the line for Inter Miami against St. Louis City, with Lionel Messi and Matias Rojas alongside him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Callender; Weigandt, Aviles, Krvystov, Alba; Gressel, Busquets, Cremaschi; Messi, Suarez, Rojas
St. Louis City
Tomas Ostrak is the only injury blow for the away team, and he is undergoing ankle tendon surgery. St. Louis City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Inter Miami, with Roman Burki in goal.
Tomas Totland and Anthony Markanich will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during transitions. Tim Parker will form the central defensive unit alongside Joakim Nilsson.
In the midfield pivot, Chris Durkin will start alongside Eduard Lowen. The two players will look to break up opposition attacks and protect the central defenders. Indiana Vassilev will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to link up with the attackers in the final third and open up goalscoring opportunities.
Rasmus Alm and Celio Pompeu will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Joao Klauss will spearhead the St. Louis City against Inter Miami this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Burki; Totland, Parker, Nilsson, Markanich; Durkin, Lowen; Alm, Vassilev, Pompeu; Klauss
Ways to Watch
Key Stats
- St. Louis City have lost their last three matches in Major League Soccer.
- St. Louis City have conceded at least two goals in their last three matches in MLS.
- Inter Miami have scored 12 goals in their last six matches.
- Inter Miami have conceded 8 goals in their last six matches.
Player to Watch
Lionel Messi
The 36-year-old has been in phenomenal form for Inter Miami, and he has 11 goals and eight assists in his last ten appearances. He will look to continue in his red hot form and influence the game with his creativity and goal scoring ability in the final third. St. Louis City are quite vulnerable defensively, and Messi could run rings around them.
Prediction
Inter Miami 3-0 St. Louis City
The home team are the favourites here, and they should be able to grind out a comfortable victory. St. Louis City are lacking in confidence and form right now, and they will struggle to contain players like Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi here.
They have been quite fragile at the back and the likes of Suarez and Messi could take them apart with their quality and experience. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Gerardo Martino and his charges.