Preview: Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami - prediction, team news, lineups

In the final match of the MLS weekend, Inter Miami will aim to ether keep pace with, or move ahead of the New England Revolution for second in the Eastern Conference, as they travel to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field to face the Columbus Crew on Sunday.

A 2-0 win over CF Montreal moved the Crew up to 13th in the East, with Miami currently below the Revs for second on goal difference heading into this weekend’s action, drawing 2-2 at home to San Diego.

Match preview

Making the playoffs for a fourth successive campaign will be a tall order for Columbus given their current standing and form.

Laurent Courtois will need his side to turn the corner soon, as they are currently seven points below the post-season line with four teams to catch.

A triumph on Sunday would mark their longest domestic winning run of the campaign (two), while being just their third league victory since August.

The US Open Cup finalists have lost three of their last four home matches in this competition, netting a goal or fewer in those three defeats.

So far in 2026, Columbus have failed to win seven regular-season encounters when scoring the opening goal, dropping 19 points as a result.

With a win or draw on Thursday, they would go unbeaten versus Inter Miami in a single regular season campaign for the first time in their history.

It may not look so obvious in the table, but Miami have taken some big steps backwards in MLS over the past few weeks.

Miami went from a side on the heels of Nashville SC for first in the East to one fighting for home-field advantage in round one of the playoffs, with only three points currently separating them from fourth-place Charlotte FC.

On Sunday, they can end a four-match winless run in the league, with Kily Gonzalez’s team failing to hang onto a late second-half advantage in three of those instances.

At the same time, the reigning Campeones Cup and MLS Cup champions can stretch their unbeaten run in this competition to six matches.

This weekend the Herons can also win a ninth league outing as the visitors, surpassing their total from the 2025 season (eight).

Inter Miami have won three of their last four meetings against the Crew in Columbus, collecting a 1-0 triumph in this exact fixture a year ago.

Columbus Crew Major League Soccer form:

Columbus Crew form (all competitions):

Inter Miami Major League Soccer form:

Inter Miami form (all competitions):

Team News

For this weekend’s outing, the Crew will be missing Wessam Abou Ali, who continues to recover from a cruciate ligament tear.

Away on international duty will be Chase Adams, Nicholas Hagen, Steven Moreira, Cole Mrowka and Gonzalo Tapia.

Mohamed Farsi and Brais Mendez netted in their victory over Montreal last week, while Patrick Schulte stopped the two shots that he faced for a clean sheet.

At Miami, Tadeo Allende has a knee injury, Israel Boatwright is out becasue of a cruciate ligament tear and Yannick Bright will not be available due to a yellow-card suspension.

Lionel Messi will bid farewell to the Argentine national team during this international window, with Alexander Shaw, Dayne St. Clair, Daniel Pinter, Loven’s Delinois, Matias Galarza, Rodrigo De Paul, Fricio Caicedo and German Berterame all called up to their respective national teams as well.

Messi and Luis Suarez both found the back of the net for Miami last Sunday, with the former still leading the league in goals and assists with 20 and 13, respectively.

Columbus Crew possible starting lineup:

Schulte; Farsi, Bailly, Zawadzki, Amundsen; Lennon, Gomes, Habroune, Mendez; Rodriguez, Martinez

Inter Miami possible starting lineup:

Rios Novo; Mura, Micael, Falcon, Reguilon; Ayala, Casemiro, Morales; Plambeck, Suarez, Silvetti