It’s Inter Miami who strikes first as Kansas City broke down in the middle of the pitch and Messi wouldn’t miss firing the Herons into the lead. He now has a goal in both legs as that shot was taken almost in slow motion in the 20th minute of play.
While it hasn’t been a very clean start for the HErons, they have had chances from corner kicks in the early going of the match. Sporting will need to score because if Miami are allowed to have chances, they’ll make good on at least one of them.
Sporting isn’t afraid to run at the Herons but when it has come to the final ball, it hasn’t been there in the early going. All it takes is one pass to break the match open with how meaningful away goals are.
It’s quite a match for both teams in only their third match of the new season with a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 on the line.
Miami are the favorites for a reason and as long as they avoid any unnecessary drama, they should find a way to book a spot in the round of 16 with relative ease, especially against an SKC side that may not be much improved from last year. Pick: Inter Miami 2, Sporting Kansas City 0
Dejan Joveljic still seeks his first goal for the club but with Miami breaking in a new center back pairing, he will have chances.
Starters: John Pulskamp, Jacob Bartlett, Tim Leibold, Daniel Rosero, Robert Voloder, Magomed-Shapi Sulymanov, Erik Thommy, Zorhan Bassong, Manu Garcia, Jacob Davis, Dejan Joveljic
The Herons could line up in a 4-3-3 or in a back three but it won’t shift too much of the setup.
Starters: Oscar Ustari, Jordi Alba, Maximiliano Falcon, Tomas Aviles, Ian Fray, Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia, Radeo Allende, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi
Inter Miami have one win and one draw to start their season, which is not too shabby but both results have come in dramatic circumstances. While Miami dealt with extreme conditions in Kansas City that forced the postponement of the first leg by a day, their 2-2 draw against New York City FC on Saturday was a triumph of sorts after playing much of the game down to 10. In theory, Tuesday’s game marks the first real chance for Miami to show what they have been working on in preseason with Mascherano, who just started his first season with the club.
Expect Lionel Messi to play a big role as usual, especially since he’s started the season in strong form. He has one goal and two assists in two games, scoring the lone goal in this cup tie. Mascherano’s side will enter the second leg almost fully fit, so anyone from ex-Barcelona star Luis Suarez to Saturday’s goalscorer Telasco Segovia could also play a part.
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 25 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Chase Stadium — Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- TV: Fox Sports 2 | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Inter Miami -225; Draw +400; Sporting Kansas City +700
Inter Miami won’t have to worry about the freezing cold as they face Sporting Kansas City in the friendly confines of Chase Stadium with a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 on the line. Messi was able to score in the first leg to give the Herons a leg up heading into this round but they’ll need their defense to ensure that Sporting doesn’t make good on their attacking chances.
