Inter Miami vs Austin

Inter Miami and Austin are set to square off at the DRV PNK Stadium in only their second-ever Major League Soccer meeting.

Lionel Messi’s debut cannot come soon enough for Inter Miami as a 4-1 demolition at Philadelphia Union last time out nailed the Florida-based outfit to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, condemning them to a seventh consecutive MLS defeat. Maybe Gerardo Martino’s appointment as the new manager could turn Miami’s fortunes around, but a staggering 11-point gap on the final playoff qualification spot doesn’t inspire much confidence. Neither does the fact the ‘Herons’ have conceded 3+ goals in their last two MLS outings, not to mention they’ve netted one or fewer in seven straight league matches since a 2-1 win over New England Revolution in mid-May. On that basis, avenging a dreadful 5-1 defeat in their only previous MLS meeting with Austin looks like a pipe dream.

On the other hand, after back-to-back defeats ‘to one,’ visiting Austin have claimed a brace of 3-0 wins over Houston Dynamo and Dallas to consolidate their pursuit of playoff qualification. But with only three points separating them from 10th-placed Portland Timbers in an intense playoff battle in the Western Conference, the ‘Oaks’ must stay the course, even if it would require them to defy an underwhelming win ratio of only 25% across their eight MLS travels this season (W2, D1, L5). Since a 2-1 victory at Seattle Sounders in mid-May, Josh Wolff’s men have lost two consecutive away league games, conceding on either side of halftime on each occasion. But despite their form wobble on the road, they’re still fun to watch, with their last four MLS away fixtures seeing over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.