If it feels like Inter Miami and Nashville SC have been playing each other constantly as of late, that’s not your mind playing tricks on you. Saturday will be the third time that they’ve met since Oct. 18 as Miami look to win three straight in the series. If Lionel Messi and the Herons can accomplish that, they’ll spare us from seeing a fourth match between the two with this MLS Cup Playoffs tie seeing Inter Miami lead the best-of-three series 1-0.
Messi is doing the best that he can to avoid that while putting last season’s disappointment behind him. The Herons were knocked out of the MLS Cup Playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United, leading to change throughout the club. In these two games facing Nashville, Messi has scored five goals and assisted one more. He also now has at least a brace in three consecutive matches and goal contributions in four straight.
How to watch Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami, odds
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 1 | Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
- Location: Geodis Park — Nashville, Tennessee
- Live stream: MLS Season Pass
- Odds: Nashville SC +150; Draw +270; Inter Miami +155
Likely to win the league MVP award, Messi has consistently shown why he is indispensable to everything that Javier Mascherano and the Herons want to do. Even the defensive issues that the team had were improved upon in their second match against Nashville. Changes in marking kept Sam Surridge from seeing the ball, as Nashville’s only goal came from a peach of a free kick by Hany Mukhtar.
It will be tougher to keep Nashville completely contained with the match taking place at Geodis Park, but with the run that Miami are on, there aren’t many teams in the league who can actually stop them from imposing their will. Making sure that they get rest by winning this series in two matches would ensure that the Herons have the best possibility of continuing their playoff run where anything but an MLS Cup victory would be a disappointment.
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