Inter Miami take on New England Revolution at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday evening, in the latest round of MLS fixtures.
The hosts are currently 10th in the standings, just outside of the Eastern Conference playoff places, while the visitors are top of the league after a fantastic start to the campaign.
Match preview
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Inter Miami went on a very poor run early on in the season, losing six games on the spin, but they have now started to turn around their disappointing form in both the US Open Cup and the MLS.
The Herons have now won four games in a row in all competitions, having finally found their shooting boots, scoring eight goals during that time period after failing to score in five of the previous six games.
Phil Neville's side have kept things very tight at the back up to this point, shipping just 11 goals in 10 matches, the third-best defensive record of any side in the Eastern Conference.
That defensive solidity was on display again last time out, with Inter Miami eking out a 1-0 victory at home against Charleston Battery in the US Open Cup, with a Juan Palma own-goal proving to be the difference between the two sides.
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Considering they finished 10th in the Eastern Conference last season, New England have made a terrific start to this campaign, sitting top of the league having amassed 24 points in 11 games.
Much of the Revs' success up to this point has been down to their fantastic defensive record, having conceded just nine goals so far, the second-fewest of any side in the Eastern Conference.
However, manager Bruce Arena's attack let him down last time out, with his side crashing out the US Open Cup in shock fashion, losing 1-0 at home to Pittsburgh despite dominating the majority of the possession and having more shots.
That said, it is difficult to be too critical of New England, given that the aforementioned defeat was just their second of the season, having previously been on a nine-game unbeaten run.
The Revs can consolidate their place at the top of the Eastern Conference with a victory on Saturday, and they will be eager to bounce back with another win on the road, having taken 10 points on their travels this season, the joint-highest amount of any side in either Conference.
Team News
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Both sides made a number of changes for their recent matches in the US Open Cup, and it would not be a surprise to see them revert to a more familiar lineup as they return to MLS action.
However, Inter Miami will have to make do without a couple of players, with Franco Negri suspended after being shown a red card against Atlanta United earlier this month, while Rodolfo Pizarro has a hamstring injury.
Sergei Kryvtsov missed the last match with a calf issue, but he is back in contention for this weekend's fixture, meaning Christopher McVey could drop to the bench.
As for New England, Dylan Borrero will be out for quite some time due to an ACL injury, so Emmanuel Boateng should get the nod at left-wing, playing provider for returning striker Bobby Wood, in a 4-2-3-1 system.
After the disappointing defeat last time out, Esmir Bajraktarevic could return on the right of midfield, while Noel Buck and Matt Polster are likely to be brought back into the engine room.
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Yedlin, Kryvtsov, Miller; Sailor; Arroyo, Ruiz, Jean, Cremaschi, Stefanelli; Campana
New England Revolution possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Bye, Farrell, Romney, Jones; Polster, Buck, Bajraktarevic, Gil, Boateng; Wood
We say: Inter Miami 1-2 New England Revolution
Inter Miami have started to find their feet in the MLS over the past few weeks, but they still trail New England Revolution by 12 points in the table, which displays just how well the visitors have started the campaign.
As such, we expect New England to emerge with a narrow win, akin to their closely-contested 2-1 victory against DC United back in March.
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Top tip
Dominic Lund
