Lionel Messi made his much-anticipated return against Atlanta United in Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw. Leonardo Campana scored a goal to give a 2-1 lead to David Beckham’s franchise, only for Aleksei Miranchuk to score a blinder in the 84th minute to earn a draw. Owing to that goal, Inter Miami stood on top of the table with 63 points. Next, they will face New York City.

It promises to be a sensational clash between the top 6 teams of the league with New York City lingering around in 6th place. They have 40 points and look to give an advantage to Cincinnati by defeating Inter Miami. The title racing is heating up with the top two teams separated by just 8 points. Hence, a loss to Inter Miami would cause concerns for the team with Cincinnati hoping to close the gap.

Tata Martino would be delighted with his team’s performances this season. He aims to win both the MLS Cup and the Supporters Shield this season. With New York City winless in the last six games, it provides the perfect opportunity for Inter Miami to extend their lead. Hence, things are looking interesting for these teams. Without further ado, let’s look at the team news, injuries, and head-to-head of the two teams.

New York City Vs Inter Miami: Team news

Injuries:

New York City

The New York-based club will miss Birk Risa who missed his game against DC United after sustaining an injury in the warmups. Meanwhile, Malachi Jones remains sidelined with a serious broken tibia injury. He will be out for some time. Other than that, they have players like Julian Fernandez and Agustin Ojeda who can come in to make a difference. Alonso Martinez will be the go-to-man with 12 goals this season.

Inter Miami

With the news that everyone wanted to hear, Lionel Messi appeared as a substitute in their match against Atlanta United. Yet, they are without Diego Gomez because of a knock. Likewise, Noah Allen is out with a head injury and a sore ankle keeps Matias Rojas out of contention. CJ dos Santos still dealing with a hand injury and will miss the game. With Luis Suarez retiring from Uruguayan duties he will probably start the game after gaining match fitness. All in all, it promises to be a cagy affair.

Predicted lineups:

New York City FC 

Freese; Ilenic, Tanasijevic, Martins, McFarlane; Parks, Sands; Wolf, Rodriguez, Mijatovic; Martinez

Inter Miami 

Callender; Weigandt, Aviles, Busquets, Alba; Relando, Bright, Ruiz; Messi, Suarez, Gressel

Head-to-head stats in MLS and prediction

Total matches: 11

Won by New York City: 8

Won by Inter Miami: 1

Draw: 2

Both sides look shaky after their injury concerns. Yet, this match looks to be a straightforward victory for Inter Miami. They have Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez who can score goals. We expected a comfortable victory for Inter Miami.

Final score: 3-1 (Messi scores a thumping free-kick)

Watch New York City vs Inter Miami on TV Channel and livestream

New York City vs Inter Miami will kick off at 2:00 p.m. ET. Fans in the United States and the United Kingdom can watch the action live on Apple TV (MLS Season Pass).