Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Midway through the workweek, on Thursday morning at Lower.com Field, the Columbus Crew will take on Inter Miami to extend the MLS Supporters' Shield competition.

With 57 points, the hosts are in second position in the Eastern Conference. They are eight points behind their forthcoming opponents, the Herons, but they have a game in hand.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

From the beginning of last month until their elimination from the Campeones Cup on penalties at the hands of Club America, Columbus Crew has been on a tear. During that time, they have won the Leagues Cup and lost only once in their last seven league games.

After suffering through a rough patch between March and May of this year—during which they drew five games and lost two—that put them squarely back in the title hunt.

Nevertheless, the Crew find themselves in a difficult position following Sunday's 2-2 draw with DC United. If they lose this match, Inter Miami would acquire 11 points and take home the Supporters' Shield, while the Crew only have three games remaining in the season.

On the other hand, Wilfried Nancy's squad won their last Leagues Cup encounter against the Herons by a score of 3-2 and will be confident in their prospects of claiming victory here thanks to their stellar home record, in which they have conceded only one goal in their previous seven league encounters.

The Crew's defense has been their strongest suit this season, allowing just 33 goals—a statistic that will need to be maintained if they are to defeat Inter, a team known for their relentless offensive style.

Inter Miami seemed to have a good chance of winning the Supporters' Shield this season, with their seven-point lead over second-placed LA Galaxy and upcoming matches against eighth-placed Toronto and second-bottom New England Revolution.

Nevertheless, the Herons would probably prefer to complete the race next week against their Eastern Conference rivals and the team that ended their League Cup title defense.

Lionel Messi, an Argentine superstar, has won two titles since joining Major League Soccer, and if Miami were to win this match, it would be the 45th official trophy in his remarkable career.

Messi scored the lone goal in the Herons' 1-1 home draw with Charlotte over the weekend, and he returned to duty for the team on September 15 after suffering a right ankle injury. His instant impact was evident as he scored twice in the 3-1 victory over Philadelphia Union.

Because Miami had already played both regular season games against Columbus when Messi joined them on July 15, last year, and because he had already left for the Copa America when they met in June this year, this match will also be the first time the Argentine faces the Crew.

Columbus Crew x Inter Miami Team News

Both Sean Zawadzki (abdominal injury) and Evan Bush (arm injury) will miss the remainder of the Columbus Crew's season, meaning they will not be available for this pivotal encounter.

Midweek, the Crew will likely start Diego Rossi and Cucho Hernandez, who scored twice in the Crew's August Leagues Cup victory over the Herons.

Tomas Aviles, an Argentine defender, will miss this top-of-the-table matchup for Inter Miami since he received a yellow card in their last match against Charlotte.

Given the absence of David Martinez (groin), Carlos Dos Santos (arm), Leonardo Afonso (groin), and Nicolas Freire (cruciate ligament tear), Aviles will also have to sit this one out due to injury.

Our predictions

Full time draw @ 4.05 on Sky247.ng

With only two losses in fifteen road matches this season, Inter Miami has been the finest team in Major League Soccer.

While the Herons will most certainly go on to win the Supporters' Shield this year, we believe the Crew will make sure they have to wait until they face Toronto in a few days before they can do it. Columbus, though, is not going to give up this race easily.

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