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Match preview for New York City v Inter Miami
Inter Miami travel to Citi Field on Wednesday night knowing a win would lift them into third place in the Eastern Conference in the MLS.
Standing in their way are New York City, who currently occupy fourth spot after a solid 2-0 win over Charlotte FC at the weekend.
The Pigeons sit just one point above Miami, who also picked up three points last time out with a 3-2 triumph over DC United.
NYCFC have been flying since the start of September. Pascal Jansen’s men are now pushing not only for a guaranteed play-off berth but also home advantage in round one, sitting just one point behind Charlotte.
A victory here would temporarily move them into third and equal their record for most home wins in a single MLS regular season (12), last achieved in 2018.
Their home form has been outstanding – three wins from three at Citi Field this year, all without conceding.
NYCFC have earned points in 11 of their last 12 league matches in September and are unbeaten in competitive home fixtures against Miami, including a 3-0 win in the 2022 play-offs.
Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano’s Inter Miami arrive with momentum of their own. They are chasing a third straight league win after back-to-back matches scoring three goals, keeping alive faint hopes of defending the Supporters’ Shield.
With three games in hand on leaders Philadelphia Union, they remain eight points adrift at the top.
However, Miami’s away form is cause for concern. They’ve taken just one point from their last three road trips, and defensive lapses have been costly, conceding three or more goals in six away matches this season.
That said, they remain unbeaten against New York opposition this campaign, hammering the Red Bulls 5-1 back in July.
Team news for New York City v Inter Miami
New York City remain without Keaton Parks, Malachi Jones, and Nico Cavallo due to leg injuries. Alonso Martinez was the hero last weekend, scoring twice from the penalty spot, while Matt Freese kept a clean sheet with two saves.
For Miami, Fabrice Picault (quad), David Ruiz (hamstring) and Allen Obando (hamstring) were sidelined against DC United, while Telasco Segovia serves a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
It was also confirmed on Sunday that Sergio Busquets will retire at the end of the season when his current deal expires.
Luis Suarez is eligible to return from suspension, while Lionel Messi continues to dazzle, scoring twice and assisting last time out.
Expected line-ups for New York City v Inter Miami
New York City: Freese; Ilenic, Martins, Gustavo, O’Toole; Haak, Perea; N. Fernandez, Moralez, Wolf; Martinez
Inter Miami: Ustari; Fray, Lujan, Falcon, Alba; De Paul, Busquets, Bright; Messi, Suarez, Allende
How to watch New York City v Inter Miami: TV channel, online stream
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 19:30 ET (16:30 PT / 00:30 on Thursday BST), with live coverage available through the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
In the US, a subscription costs $14.99 a month or $69 a season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per month or $59 a season.
The stats for New York City v Inter Miami
- NYCFC are unbeaten at Citi Field this season, winning all three matches without conceding
- The Pigeons have points from 11 of their last 12 regular-season games
- Inter Miami have conceded 3+ goals in six away fixtures this campaign
- Messi leads the Golden Boot race with 22 goals and became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 70 goal contributions
- NYCFC have never lost a competitive home match against Inter Miami
- Miami are on a two-match winning streak
Prediction
Both teams are in strong form going forward, with plenty of attacking firepower on display. With play-off positions on the line, expect a competitive, end-to-end contest where the spoils are ultimately shared.
Prediction: New York City 2-2 Inter Miami
