Two sides coming off opening game victories in the Leagues Cup face off on Saturday, as Inter Miami hosts Necaxa at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, both aiming to maintain their perfect records in the competition.
Both teams experienced thrilling late wins on matchday one, with the Herons securing a 2-1 victory over Atlas, while Necaxa triumphed over Atlanta United with a 3-1 scoreline.
The Supporters’ Shield winners made their presence known in the dying minutes of their Leagues Cup opener, clinching the match with a dramatic 96th-minute strike. They are one of only three MLS teams to emerge from matchday one with maximum points this time around.
Javier Mascherano’s team is in good form going into this encounter, having gone three games without losing in all competitions. They’ve been impervious at home in the Leagues Cup, having yet to drop a single point at Chase Stadium during this tournament.
While Miami tends to stage late comebacks, they have historically struggled to secure points in the tournament when conceding the opening goal, having lost matches to Tigres (2-1) and the Columbus Crew (3-2) last year. Remarkably, they have won all three of their Leagues Cup home matches against Mexican teams and have yet to concede a goal in the first half of those encounters.
For Necaxa, their matchday one victory marked a historic milestone, as it was the first time they won their opening match in this tournament. They continued their impressive performance from the previous year’s group round, where they defeated the Seattle Sounders, by scoring two goals in the closing seconds to seal their victory.
Under the guidance of Fernando Gago, Necaxa is also on a three-match unbeaten run across all competitions, scoring seven goals while conceding just three during this stretch. They have a strong record in the Leagues Cup, having never lost a match when level or ahead at halftime, while they have struggled in contests where they fell behind before the break.
On Saturday, the Rayos have a chance to achieve something unprecedented: winning consecutive matches in this competition. They have comfortably kept their opponents from scoring more than one goal in their last three group fixtures against MLS teams, with no second-half goals conceded during that run.
Inter Miami Leagues Cup form:
– Win
Inter Miami form (all competitions):
– Win
– Win
– Loss
– Win
– Draw
– Win
Necaxa Leagues Cup form:
– Win
Necaxa form (all competitions):
– Draw
– Draw
– Loss
– Win
– Draw
– Win
Team News
Inter Miami faces some injury concerns, as hamstring strains kept Oscar Ustari and Baltasar Rodriguez sidelined during matchday one. Ian Fray missed the match due to an adductor strain, while Drake Callender continues his recovery from a hernia issue. Notably, Rodrigo De Paul made his debut for Miami this week, playing a full 90 minutes alongside Sergio Busquets. Lionel Messi returned after missing their scoreless draw with FC Cincinnati, contributing assists for both goals against Atlas from Telasco Segovia and Marcelo Weigandt.
On the Necaxa side, a shin injury prevented Agustin Oliveros from participating in their decisive win against Atlanta United. Tomas Badaloni made an impactful appearance, scoring just three minutes after coming on for Diber Cambindo, and he netted another goal in stoppage time, with an own goal from Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan also contributing to their early lead.
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
– Novo; Weigandt, Lujan, Aviles, Alba; De Paul, Busquets; Allende, Messi, Segovia; Suarez
Necaxa possible starting lineup:
– Unsain; Martinez, Jacob, De Buen, Calderon; Rosero, Gomez, Palavecino, Rojas; Cambindo, Perez
