Another rematch of the Leagues Cup 2023 final awaits Saturday evening when Inter Miami CF host Nashville SC for an MLS Matchday 10 fixture.
How to watch & stream
When
- Saturday, April 20 | 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
Where
- Chase Stadium | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
These clubs have already met twice in 2024, with Inter Miami taking a 5-3 aggregate win in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 behind the brilliance of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez (combined 4g/3a in the series).
This follows the clubs’ memorable 2023 showdown at GEODIS Park, when Messi’s golazo and Drake Callender’s penalty-kick heroics paced Inter Miami’s first-ever trophy – all after the GOAT, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba arrived last summer to kickstart their new era.
Inter Miami are coming off a 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City, putting on a show before a historic crowd at Arrowhead Stadium (72,610 fans). In that comeback result, Messi and Diego Gómez notched 1g/1a apiece to earn Team of the Matchday presented by Audi nods.
But here’s the biggest takeaway: Messi went the full 90 after missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury. The iconic No. 10’s return coincided with Inter Miami snapping a five-match winless streak across all competitions – immediately displaying his quality with a golazo that propelled Player of the Matchday and AT&T Goal of the Matchday wins as well.
The SKC victory showed Inter Miami’s resolve to bounce back from their midweek CCC exit to Liga MX powerhouse CF Monterrey. It did come at a cost, though, as Alba exited in the second half with a hamstring injury. Franco Negri or Noah Allen could take the all-action left back’s spot in the starting XI.
Nashville had a Matchday 9 bye, giving them two weeks to plot a path forward from a 2024 season that's started below their standards. Head coach Gary Smith's side is 14th (second-to-last) in the Eastern Conference table, taking just seven points from seven games (1W-2L-4D). They're allowing an uncharacteristic 1.86 goals per game.
This skid has coincided with injuries to star players, as DP forwards Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar have both missed time – giving them just 3g/2a combined so far. At the back, the injury bug got USMNT defenders Walker Zimmerman and Shaq Moore as well.
On a positive note, Canadian international winger Jacob Shaffelburg (0g/3a) is enjoying a breakout season before Copa América this summer. Winter-time additions Tyler Boyd and Dru Yearwood have offered a spark as well.
