Preview: Inter Miami vs Nashville SC - prediction, team news, lineups

Inter Miami can close the gap in the race for the Supporters’ Shield crown with a win on Saturday over Nashville SC at Nu Stadium.

In midweek, the reigning MLS Cup champions settled for a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire, keeping them second in the Eastern Conference, nine points below Nashville, who were beaten 2-1 by Toronto.

Match preview

Just when you thought they had finally turned the corner, it appears as though Inter Miami are stuck in neutral once again.

After hammering CF Montreal 7-1, Miami have dropped four points in their last two league fixtures, keeping them well back of first place in the conference.

Kily Gonzalez will hope to remain unbeaten as their manager this weekend and extend this side’s home unbeaten run in this competition to three matches.

The league's highest-scoring team (59 goals) have not been shut out in a single regular-season outing at Nu Stadium in 2026.

The Herons are averaging a league-high 2.5 goals per match domestically this year and are second in MLS regarding expected goals (51.3).

Miami are unbeaten in their last eight home matches played across all competitions against Nashville, though this upcoming one will be the first time the two teams meet at Nu Stadium.

Nashville SC's lengthy unbeaten run ended on matchday 24, as they lost for the first time domestically since late July.

BJ Callaghan’s men are still comfortably sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference but on Saturday could lose consecutive matches in the league for the first time all year.

Away from home, the Boys in Gold have dropped points in four of their last five regular season affairs, netting a goal or fewer in three of those instances.

Nashville have given up the fewest goals in the league so far in 2026 (19), collecting seven clean sheets as the visitors this season.

On the other hand, they have been less potent in the attacking third outside of Geodis Park this year, failing to score in seven regular-season affairs away from home.

They can snap a six-match winless run away from home in MLS this weekend versus Florida-based clubs, with their last league triumph in the Sunshine State taking place in April 2023 (1-0 over Orlando City).

Inter Miami Major League Soccer form:

Nashville SC Major League Soccer form:

Team News

A shoulder issue may keep Mateo Silvetti out of the Miami fold this weekend, Sergio Reguilon is questionable with a hamstring problem, Micael has a sore ankle and Santiago Morales is dealing with a quad strain.

Likely unavailable will be Gonzalo Lujan, who is recovering from a lower leg injury, while Tadeo Allende is out due to a knee issue.

Casemiro netted for a third match running on Wednesday, with Lionel Messi assisting, and the reigning league MVP now has at least one goal involvement in his last six league fixtures.

On the Nashville side, a lower body issue is likely to keep Warren Madrigal on the sidelines for this upcoming match.

We saw three new faces in their starting 11 on Wednesday, with Jack Maher, Dan Lovitz and Matthew Corcoran all coming into the fold at Toronto.

Hany Mukhtar has failed to score in his last two league games after netting in back-to-back encounters before that, with Nashville's only strike on Wednesday coming via an own goal by Niklas Dorsch.

Inter Miami possible starting lineup:

St. Clair; Fray, Casemiro, Falcon, Caicedo; De Paul, Bright, Segovia; Messi, Suarez, Pinter

Nashville SC possible starting lineup:

Schwake; Najer, Maher, Woledzi, Baker-Whiting; Yazbek, Tagseth, Saad; Espinoza, Surridge, Mukhtar

We say: Inter Miami 2-1 Nashville SC

The Boys in Gold do not look nearly as compact defensively away from home, and a desperate Miami side should be able to find a way through them in a match that they need a lot more than Nashville.

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