Preview:Inter Miami vs Atlanta United - prediction, team news, lineups

After the disappointment of relinquishing the MLS Supporters’ Shield, Inter Miami will try to finish the regular season in second, starting with a win against Atlanta United on October 12.

There is uncertainty over whether club captain Lionel Messi will be available for this weekend’s league match, which could affect the Florida outfit’s penultimate fixture.

Match preview

Defeat at home to the Chicago Fire at the start of October was largely responsible for Inter Miami surrendering the ownership of the Supporters’ Shield to the Philadelphia Union.

However, with three points separating them from FC Cincinnati, but with a game in hand, the Herons have a good chance to finish as runners-up of the Eastern Conference.

Miami bounced back nicely from that shock defeat to see off the New England Revolution 4-1 last weekend, making it four wins from their last six MLS fixtures.

Head coach Javier Mascherano must be careful with his team selection, as he will not want to risk any of his star players before the MLS Cup playoffs that are due to commence at the conclusion of the regular season.

The home side have endured a mixed bag of results against the visitors, sharing two wins apiece across their previous five head-to-heads, with Atlanta winning the corresponding match in Florida last term.

Inter are likely to be better this time around, considering they have only been on the wrong end of a league game at home on three of 16 occasions this season.

However, Atlanta will be more than happy to be a stumbling block to their hosts this weekend and prevent them from securing maximum points.

The Five Stripes have had a poor league campaign, winning just five of the 32 fixtures they’ve played so far, leaving them languishing second from bottom (14th) in the east.

In the combined standings, Atlanta are in 28th, a long way from when they won the MLS Cup in 2018, after finishing second in their second-ever regular season.

Head coach Ronny Deila was appointed before the start of the season, but it seems that he will not be able to better the club’s 14th-place finish from last term.

The Norwegian boss has averaged 0.86 points per game in his debut season in America, partly because of his poor backline that have shipped 58 goals this term, with only last-placed DC United conceding more with 65.

Inter Miami Major League Soccer form:

WWWDLW

Atlanta United Major League Soccer form:

DWLDLL

Team News

Inter have some bad news with the suspension of Maximiliano Falcon from the squad, after receiving a one-game suspension for the accumulation of five yellow cards.

Jordi Alba, who recently announced that he is following his former Barcelona teammate, Sergio Busquets, into retirement at the end of the season, should play his final regular-season game in front of the home fans at Chase Stadium this weekend.

The left-back is also in danger of missing out on the final league match because of racking up five yellow cards, together with Luis Suarez, so the pair must be careful on Sunday.

Certain absentees for Mascherano are Mateo Silvetti, who is on international duty with the Argentinian under-20 side at the World Cup, and the pair of Allen Obando and David Ruiz are long-term casualties with hamstring injuries.

It is still not certain whether Messi will turn out for Miami, because he was called up to Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squad for their two international friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Since both fixtures are taking place in the USA, the first one actually in Miami, Messi could just take the field for his club on Sunday and feature for his country next Tuesday.

Stian Gregersen, Enea Mihaj and Juan Berrocal started for the first time together in a match the last time out, although the trio still could not prevent the 1-0 defeat to LAFC, but Mihaj will be leaving on international duty with Albania, which means Dominik Chong-Qui may have to slot in for only his third match of the MLS season.

Brooks Lennon (Achilles Tendon), Matthew Edwards, William Reilly (both Hamstring) and Jay Fortune (Foot) are the only injury concerns for head coach Deila for the weekend.

Attacking youngster Luke Brennan is away with the USA under-20 team at the World Cup and will not be available for selection.

Miguel Almiron just passed 30 MLS games for Atlanta last week, and he has played the second-most minutes for the club this season, but he will be on a plane with Paraguay to Asia.

The captain will surely be a huge miss up front, especially since he scored twice in his last four games, but it paves the way for Emmanuel Latte Lath to get a start as one of a two-pronged attack.

However, the man next to him, Jamal Thiare, will be key in this encounter, especially since the Senegalese striker netted a brace in the corresponding fixture last season.

The engine room will be missing Aleksey Miranchuk and Bartosz Slisz, which means the coach may have to turn to Tristan Muyumba and 17-year-old Adyn Torres to hold down the fort.

Inter Miami possible starting lineup:

Rios; Fray, Allen, Aviles, Alba; Busquets, De Paul, Rodriguez, Allende; Messi; Suarez

Atlanta United possible starting lineup:

Hibbert; Gordon, Gregersen, Berrocal, Chong-Qui, Amador; Muyumba, Torres, Alzate; Latte Lath, Thiare

We say: Inter Miami 3-2 Atlanta United

There have always been goals in this one, just like there were last season. However, Atlanta have only won one of their 16 away dates this term, so a win for the visitors is unlikely.

Additionally, Miami have won four of their last five league games in front of their home fans; since this is their final game of the regular season in Fort Lauderdale, they will want to end it with a bang.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.