Inter Miami vs Nashville

Inter Miami’s first Major League Soccer encounter at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale with Lionel Messi in attack pits them against familiar foes Nashville.

Less than a fortnight since beating Nashville in the Leagues Cup showpiece on penalties, Inter Miami will be looking to build on that success and arrest a two-game losing H2H streak in the MLS. After scoring on his MLS debut to seal Inter’s 2-0 victory at New York Red Bulls last time out, Messi prepares for his home debut in the United States’ elite division, hoping to help the ‘Herons’ balance their negative home league record this term (W4, D2, L5). With Messi leading the line, everything’s possible, but it’s worth noting that Gerardo Martino’s men are winless in their last five MLS outings on home turf (D2, L3), netting under 1.5 goals on four occasions. Stuck 11 points adrift of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, Inter cannot settle for anything less than a win.

In the meantime, Nashville failed to recover from a faltered bid to land a first piece of silverware as Atlanta United thumped them 4-0 on their MLS return last weekend, extending their dreadful losing league run to four matches. Eight points clear of 10th-placed DC United, Gary Smith’s lads are still in pole position to secure a playoff berth in the fourth season running. However, they must stem the bleeding, though a woeful streak of four successive away league losses suggests it could be easier said than done. Goals came at a premium for Nashville during that stretch, as they failed to get on the scoresheet three times in those four games. By contrast, their most recent MLS visit to Miami yielded an emphatic 5-1 victory.