Lionel Messi will visit Canada for the first time in his professional career on Saturday when Inter Miami travel to Saputo Stadium to face CF Montreal.
Montreal were beaten 4-1 by Nashville SC in their previous MLS clash, dropping down to 11th in the Eastern Conference, while the Herons continue to lead the Supporters' Shield standings following a 6-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
Match preview
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After a solid start to his MLS coaching career, Laurent Courtois has struggled lately to improve the intensity among his Montreal players, with his side now winless in three successive league fixtures.
Le CFM began the domestic campaign on a three-match unbeaten run, winning two of those contests, but will enter this encounter having lost four of their last five games in this competition away from home.
To this point of the 2024 domestic campaign, Montreal have conceded in all but two matches, allowing more goals than anyone in the Eastern Conference this year (20).
Saturday will be just their third home game of the 2024 MLS campaign, with Le CFM unbeaten at Saputo Stadium this season while collecting at least a point in six successive regular-season outings in Montreal.
To this stage of the 2024 MLS campaign, Le CFM have never been behind for a single minute at home, though they have dropped five points when netting the opening goal, including two at Saputo Stadium.
They are unbeaten in their four MLS encounters played against Miami at home, winning this exact fixture a season ago by a 1-0 score.
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Revenge appeared to be on the minds of Inter Miami last weekend, as they exploded with six goals in the second half to claim a four-goal victory just over a month after the Red Bulls had beaten them by that same margin (4-0).
It feels as though the Herons want to give their opponents a false sense of security before overwhelming them with their attacking depth, with Miami winning four successive MLS fixtures despite conceding the opening goal on each of those occasions.
Tata Martino's men have points in seven of their nine league contests this year when conceding first, with one of those defeats coming at home to Le CFM in March (3-2).
The six goals scored in their match last weekend set a club record for the most in a single domestic encounter, and a victory on Saturday would set a new record for the longest regular-season winning run in franchise history (five).
Miami have three victories away from home in MLS this year, already matching their total from 2023 and with just a single point this weekend, the Herons will equal their away points total from the previous campaign (11).
They have lost three of their previous four league contests versus Le CFM, claiming only one point in two prior visits to Saputo Stadium (2-2 draw in 2022).
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Team News
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Courtois has a long list of injuries to contend with, beginning with Montreal striker Matias Coccaro, who has a long-term knee issue, Kwadwo Opoku is dealing an ankle ligament tear, Dominik Yankov has a hamstring strain and former Miami striker Josef Martinez missed the previous encounter due to a minor knock.
Joaquin Sosa sat out last weekend because of a problem in his lower leg, Lassi Lappalainen might be a game-time decision with a minor injury, Nathan-Dylan Saliba has a sore hip, while Grayson Doody will be a question mark because of an ankle issue.
Raheem Edwards earned his 100th MLS start last weekend, George Campbell picked up start number 50 in league play, while an own-goal courtesy of Walker Zimmerman was all Le CFM could manage on the scoresheet.
The Herons were once again without Jordi Alba last week due to a hamstring strain, Diego Gomez sat out with an ankle sprain, Federico Redondo remains sidelined because of an LCL injury and Robbie Robinson may need surgery on his knee.
Shanyder Borgelin will be questionable with a hamstring ailment, Serhiy Kryvtsov was an unused substitute last weekend and could be fully recovered from his sore hamstring, Facundo Farias is out for the season after tearing his ACL, while Ian Fray is nearing a return from that same injury.
Messi had a hand in six goals, five of which were assists, in the Herons' victory over the Red Bulls, an MLS record for a single match, and he is also the co-leader in the Golden Boot standings with 10 goals.
His Miami teammate Luis Suarez has also found the back of the net 10 times in MLS this season, including a hat-trick last weekend, while Matias Rojas netted a brace.
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Campbell, Waterman, Corbo; Ruan, Piette, Choiniere, Edwards; Duke; Toye, Lassiter
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Weigandt, Aviles, Freire, Fray; Rojas, Busquets, Ruiz; Messi, Suarez, Taylor
We say: CF Montreal 1-4 Inter Miami
Le CFM have conceded four or more goals in three domestic away fixtures this season, and that was against three low-scoring teams in the Seattle Sounders, Chicago Fire and Nashville, so we imagine that a quality side like Miami would do a lot of damage against them.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
