Inter Miami CF take on their first rivalry match of the season as they host Orlando City SC on Sunday night.
Coming off a 3–3 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, the Herons find themselves in poor form, having won just once in their last six games in all competitions. On Wednesday in San Jose, it looked as though the frustrations had gotten to Lionel Messi as well, with the Argentine needing to be talked down after referee Joe Dickerson looked to threaten a red card.
That draw came after last week’s 4–1 loss to Minnesota United, the worst margin of defeat since Messi joined the team in the summer of 2023. Additionally, the loss irked co-owner David Beckham, who snapped back at Minnesota’s Instagram post, captioned “Pink Phony Club.”
Now, Miami have a chance to return to the win column against their rivals, who have been on a strong run of form, losing just twice this season, and riding a 10-game undefeated streak, most recently beating Charlotte FC 3–1.
With the tensions of a rivalry and the ink still drying on Jordi Alba’s new contract extension, Sunday is setting up to be an enticing clash amid the eight Rivalry Week matchups.
“It may be a new rivalry due to the age of our club, but it’s a rivalry nonetheless,” manager Javier Mascherano said Friday. “So it’s important to play a good game, especially to get back to winning ways.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Inter Miami vs Orlando City SC on Sunday night.
What time does Inter Miami vs. Orlando City Kick-Off?
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Stadium: Chase Stadium
- Date: Sunday, May 18
- Kick-off Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT
Inter Miami vs. Orlando City head-to-head record
- Inter Miami: 5 wins
- Orlando City: 5 wins
- Draws: 1
Current Form (all competitions)
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Orlando City SC on TV
Inter Miami Team News
After a heated matchup and 3–3 draw against San Jose, Inter Miami can be happy they have their full complement of players for Sunday‘s match after a few looked to be approaching potential suspensions.
Not only will they have no players suspended for the game, but they will also welcome back striker Luis Suárez, who missed the previous two matches due to personal reasons which Mascherano said were approved before the season.
“The first day I arrived on the job, Luis told me he had this trip planned, and when the time arrived, he had played almost every game, so we saw it as an opportunity to give him a rest,” Mascherano said of Suárez‘s absence, with the Uruguayan having played 17 matches this season. “We didn’t know about Fafa [Picault] and Allen [Obando] had a mild injury, too. It happens. Not an excuse. We adapted and we move forward.”
Meanwhile, it will also be the first match since Alba inked a contract extension through the 2027 season, making him the first of the former FC Barcelona quartet to commit his future. However, he told the media on Friday that his decision was purely personal and would not signify what Messi and his other teammates were thinking.
Outside of the news, Miami will hope to solidify things defensively. They have allowed 18 goals against in 12 games, the fourth-most of Eastern Conference clubs. Much of that could fall on Maxi Falcon at center back, who has been lacklustre despite playing the most minutes of any central defender this season.
Messi is poised to start alongside Suárez in the attack, while Picault and Obando remain in doubt for the matchup, leaving the Herons without two of their faster attackers. Yet, their ability to score goals hasn't been an issue, it's moreso the problem of outscoring opponents.
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Orlando City
Inter Miami predicted lineup vs. Orlando City (4-4-2): Ustari; Alba, Falcon, Allen, Fray; Segovia, Busquets, Redondo, Picault; Messi, Suàrez
Orlando City Team News
After spending a few weeks looking for new solutions to a problem that hadn‘t completely arisen, Orlando manager Oscar Pareja reunited his attacking trio of Luis Muriel, Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić, and the trio has thrived through the last two matches.
This season, the trio has helped Orlando become the Eastern Conference‘s second-best attack with 26 goals in 13 games. Meanwhile, the defense has also stood up as one of the finest in MLS in recent weeks, conceding just four times in their last eight matches.
They are currently enjoying the second 10-match undefeated streak in club history, and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has already kept five clean sheets this season.
Ojeda, in particular, will be one to watch on Sunday. After starting the season in electric form, he went quiet for a few weeks, but has recently gotten back to his scoring ways, finding the back of the net twice in his last two games and bringing him to eight goals and three assists on the season.
As for absences, Orlando’s 4-2-3-1 will have to continue adapting without Eduard Atuesta. Ojeda will play the central attacking midfielder role, and Ivan Angulo will continue on the left side of midfield, with hopes of replicating Atuesta’s line-breaking magic.
Although on the road, Orlando City can play with ease against Miami. Regardless of the Herons‘ form, they will always be the favorite in a matchup, and any chance to knock their superstars off is a special one for Orlando and the other 28 MLS clubs.
Orlando City Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Miami
Orlando City predicted lineup vs. Inter Miami (4-2-3-1): Gallese; Brekallo, Jansson, Schlegel, Freeman; Gerbet, Araujo; Angulo, Ojeda, Pašalić; Muriel
Inter Miami vs. Orlando City Score Prediction
Neither one of these teams have had issues scoring in recent weeks, but Inter Miami have certainly had their struggles in defense. Despite welcoming Suárez back into the lineup, Miami could be tired after a cross-country flight and may not play to their top level against an Orlando City side that is enjoying a consistent spell of results.
Prediction: Inter Miami 2–3 Orlando City
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami CF vs. Orlando City SC: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.