New York City FC vs. Inter Miami: Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

On Saturday, Inter Miami will face New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, and if they win, Inter Miami will be one step closer to earning the Supporters' Shield.

The Pigeons lost 5-1 to the Philadelphia Union and are now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, while the Herons are still atop MLS after a midweek 2-2 tie with Atlanta United.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

With five games left, the Knicks are well-positioned to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Their domestic record does not indicate they are a playoff club despite seven points over the Eastern Conference post-season line.

After suffering their worst domestic loss under Nick Cushing on Wednesday, New York City FC entered an eight-match winless streak in Major League Soccer this weekend.

If they are victorious this weekend, they will have surpassed their home league victory total from last season (eight) by one game.

Up to this point in the MLB season, the Blue Jays have let in 19 goals when playing at home, with 15 of those goals coming at Yankee Stadium.

New York City FC has a perfect record at Yankee Stadium versus Miami, winning all four home matches (regular season and playoffs combined) and scoring three goals in each game.

Inter Miami blew a 2-1 lead in the second half of their encounter against Atlanta, resulting in a loss for the first time in more than two months.

They will need seven points from their last five home games to officially secure home-field advantage in the playoffs since their lead atop the Eastern Conference is reduced to eight points.

As the league leaders, eight points ahead of second-place FC Cincinnati and Los Angeles Galaxy, Miami is vying for home-field advantage and, more importantly, their first Supporters' Shield trophy.

Returning to action this weekend after a suspension for accumulation of yellow cards, Tata Martino will aim to win his 20th domestic campaign game, six more than the Herons' record in this league set in 2022.

When Inter Miami won all three of its home MLS matches this season (4-1 vs the Chicago Fire), they have yet to lose a game in a row when playing away from home in 2024.

Since August 2023, when they defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-0 away from home, the Herons have failed to beat a New York-based team in this tournament.

New York City FC x Inter Miami Team News

Malachi Jones was out for a second game on Wednesday with a fractured tibia, while Birk Risa missed his second straight game for NYCFC due to an injury he suffered in warmups before their match against DC United.

Agustin Ojeda replaced Maxi Moralez as the lone newcomer to the starting lineup, while Julian Fernandez, eligible to play again after his suspension, did not get any playing time.

Despite scoring in a loss to Philadelphia, Alonso Martinez now has twelve goals for the Boys in Blue this season in Major League Soccer.

The following Miami players were sidelined during midweek: Diego Gomez (knock), Noah Allen (head injury), Matias Rojas (ankle), and CJ dos Santos (hand trouble).

On Wednesday, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi came in as substitutes. Nicolas Freire and Facundo Farias are nursing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries; Lawson Sunderland is nursing a tight hamstring; and Leo Afonso is nursing a groin strain.

Tomas Aviles and Sergio Busquets, who both missed Wednesday's match due to yellow card accumulation, will be able to play in this matchup.

On Wednesday, Leonardo Campana scored his sixth goal of the Major League Soccer season, and David Ruiz pushed them ahead just before halftime.

Our predictions

Inter Miami to win @ 2.75 on Sky247.ng

While the youth of NYCFC are still learning how to pick themselves up after a loss, the seasoned leadership of Miami will be able to overcome even a little setback.

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