The first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs are kicking off with quite a compelling match as Inter Miami will host Atlanta United in the first game in their best-of-three series. The Five Stripes are one of the few teams to actually defeat Miami at home although it was a very different team at that stage featuring Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis, two stars who have since left. Atlanta have undergone a transformation following the departure of those two players and did leg out a draw against Miami at home but that was a match without Lionel Messi featuring.
Former Atlanta United manager Tata Martino has turned this Inter Miami side into one of the best teams in the league along with the help of Luis Suarez and Messi but he has also been able to manage times without the duo in the XI. Miami wouldn’t have won the Supporters’ Shield and set a new record for the most points in a regular season without managing their stars but now is the next challenge. This season won’t be a true success without winning the double and to get there, Miami will have to defeat one of the few teams that has actually given them trouble during the season.
Here are our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Friday, Oct. 25 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Chase Stadium — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Live stream: MLS Season Pass
- Odds: Inter Miami -260; Draw +425; Atlanta United +600
Storylines
Inter Miami: The goal is clear as it’s business as usual for the Herons. They believe that they’re the best team in the league and the playoffs are the time to prove that. Being able to take care of business early will ensure that they also avoid playing an extra game in order to get rest in before the second round. Miami will have to work to break down Atlanta’s defense but they haven’t found many defenses that they can’t unlock so far in league play and odds are that they’ll still find a way here.
Inter Miami predicted XI: Drake Callender, Jordi Alba, Hector Martinez,Tomas Aviles, Marcelo Weigandt, Sergio Busquets, Julian Gressel, Yannick Bright, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Diego Gomez
Atlanta United: Atlanta will want to make this a little less eventful than their playoff match against Montreal where they saw a two-goal lead evaporate before winning on penalties. Allowing Miami to hang around in a match the same way that they let Montreal will only end in a loss. On the final day of the season, Messi secured a second-half hat trick which shows just how fast Miami can turn a game on its head so the Five Stripes will need to be wary.
Atlanta United predicted XI: Brad Guzan, Brooks Lennon, Derrick Williams, Stian Gregersen, Ronald Hernandez, Ajani Fortune, Bartosz Slisz, Saba Lobzhanidze, Aleksey Miranchuk, Tyler Wolff, Jamal Thiare
Prediction
The Herons will kick off their playoff journey on the right foot by taking down Atlanta but they’ll need to maintain focus for the second match as well. Pick: inter Miami 3, Atlanta United 1
