Preview: Inter Miami vs Necaxa - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides coming off opening game victories at the Leagues Cup aim to maintain their respective 100% records in the competition on Saturday, as Inter Miami host Necaxa at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Both teams secured dramatic late triumphs on matchday one, with the Herons claiming a 2-1 win over Atlas and Necaxa defeating Atlanta United 3-1.

Match preview

You can never keep a side as experienced and talented as Miami down for too long, and as we have come to expect, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners came to life in the dying stages of their Leagues Cup opener.

Their 96th-minute strike was enough to give them a win in their first match, one of only three MLS sides to earn maximum points after matchday one this time around.

Javier Mascherano’s team enter this encounter on a three-match unbeaten run across all competitions and boasting points in their previous five games played at Chase Stadium.

Saturday will be their eighth Leagues Cup affair to take place in Fort Lauderdale, with the Herons yet to drop a single point at home in this competition.

While Miami have been known to be a resilient team that usually leave it late, they have yet to earn a single point in this tournament when conceding the opening goal, losing to Tigres (2-1) and the Columbus Crew (3-2) last year.

Inter Miami have won all three of their Leagues Cup home contests versus Mexican opposition, without a single goal conceded in the opening 45 minutes of those games.

Some late heroics on matchday one this week enabled Necaxa to win their opening match of this tournament for the first time in club history.

Two goals in the final 13 minutes plus stoppage time was enough to earn them maximum points in the group phase for a second consecutive occasion, after beating the Seattle Sounders 3-1 in their final group fixture last year.

Fernando Gago’s men are on a three-match unbeaten run across all competitions, scoring seven goals and conceding just three over that stretch.

They have never lost a match in this tournament when even or ahead after 45 minutes, while losing every game in which they were behind at the interval.

On Saturday, they have an opportunity to do something that this club have never done before, win consecutive matches in this competition.

Los Rayos have given up a goal or fewer in their previous three group fixtures against MLS opposition, failing to concede a single second-half strike in any of those outings.

Inter Miami Leagues Cup form:

Inter Miami form (all competitions):

Necaxa Leagues Cup form:

Necaxa form (all competitions):

Team News

Hamstring strains kept Oscar Ustari and Baltasar Rodriguez out of the Miami fold on matchday one, while Ian Fray was sidelined with an adductor strain, and Drake Callender continues to recover from a hernia problem.

Rodrigo De Paul made his debut for the Herons this week, playing a full 90 minutes alongside Sergio Busquets on Wednesday, while Lionel Messi returned after missing their 0-0 draw with FC Cincinnati, setting up both goals against Atlas, which came courtesy of Telasco Segovia and Marcelo Weigandt.

On the Necaxa side, a shin injury kept Agustin Oliveros out of the lineup in their big victory against the Five Stripes on matchday one.

Tomas Badaloni scored three minutes after coming on for Diber Cambindo in midweek and netted another in added time, while an own goal from Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan put them in front after 12 minutes.

Inter Miami possible starting lineup:

Novo; Weigandt, Lujan, Aviles, Alba; De Paul, Busquets; Allende, Messi, Segovia; Suarez

Necaxa possible starting lineup:

Unsain; Martinez, Jacob, De Buen, Calderon; Rosero, Gomez, Palavecino, Rojas; Cambindo, Perez

We say: Inter Miami 2-1 Necaxa

Miami never seem to make it easy on themselves, but with De Paul quickly integrating into the team and Messi back in fine form, we believe they will once again find a moment of magic and hang on.

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