Inter Miami face New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer action, and all eyes are on Lionel Messi.
It’s been a difficult week for Lionel Messi. This past Wednesday, Inter Miami suffered a tough loss to Vancouver Whitecaps that led to their elimination from the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. With that setback, the club’s focus now shifts fully to Major League Soccer, where they’ll take on New York Red Bulls this Saturday.
Even though MLS is now the top priority in the short term for the Herons, it’s not guaranteed that Lionel Messi will be on the field tonight at Chase Stadium. The Argentine forward put in a heavy shift during the 3-1 defeat to the Whitecaps, which may prompt coach Javier Mascherano to rest him to avoid overexertion.
Messi played nearly 100 minutes on Wednesday, and only three days have passed since then. Given that he’s nearing 38 years of age and has been dealing with recurring muscle injuries, there’s uncertainty about whether he’ll be in the lineup. However, even if he doesn’t start, he’s expected to be on the bench and available to come on later in the match.
A crucial MLS matchup
Inter Miami opened the 2025 MLS season strongly with five wins and three draws. However, last week’s loss to Dallas FC caused them to slip in the standings. Now with 18 points, they sit in fifth place, four points behind league leaders FC Cincinnati.
New York RB have had a more inconsistent campaign, but their 3-1 win over CF Montreal in their last outing brought them closer to the playoff spots. With 15 points, a win on Saturday in Florida would allow them to draw level with the Herons in the standings.
Inter Miami’s potential lineup
Javier Mascherano spoke to the media on Friday ahead of the match against New York Red Bulls but did not confirm the starting XI. The biggest question, of course, is whether Lionel Messi will start or come off the bench in the second half.
The Herons’ likely starting lineup: Oscar Ustari; Marcelo Weigandt, Maximiliano Falcon, Noah Allen, Jordi Alba; Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets; Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi or Bejamin Cremaschi, Telasco Segovia; Luis Suarez.
New York Red Bulls’ potential lineup
With momentum from last week’s win over CF Montreal, coach Sandro Schwarz is expected to stick with the same starting XI: Carlos Coronel; Kyle Duncan, Sean Nealis, Noah Elie, Omar Valencia; Felipe Carballo, Peter Stroud; Cameron Harper, Emile Forsberg, Wikelman Carmona; Eric Choupo-Moting.
From: bolavip.com
