Inter Miami look to continue their pursuit of a first ever MLS Championship this season when they head into a win-or-go-home clash against Atlanta United this weekend in the MLS Playoffs.
Miami claimed the top seed as they finished top of the MLS standings in the regular season thanks to the brilliant form of star attackers Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, while Atlanta claimed a wildcard spot with a ninth-placed finish in the Eastern Conference.
After splitting the three-game series 1-1 so far, both teams will look to progress to the semi-finals with a win and we’ll take a closer look at the game, before providing you with our best free soccer betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash.
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In the first full season the squad has had with the likes of Messi, Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, it’s absolutely no surprise that David Beckham’s team has been the best in the country.
The team fell to two defeats in their opening six games of the season surprisingly, but they then went on a run of ten games unbeaten including seven victories as the team picked up momentum. That run was ended by Atlanta, who picked up a 3-1 win in Florida.
Miami then claimed four wins in their next five games before a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of FC Cincinnati in July, which would end up their final loss of the regular campaign.
The team then won their next five in a row, including a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire on the road thanks to a brace from Suarez. That run was once again ended by Atlanta United, who claimed a 2-2 draw despite Miami taking the lead twice in the game.
Inter Miami ended the season with three straight victories, as Messi scored a hat-trick in the final game – a 6-2 win over New England Revolution. They then won the opening game of the playoff series as Suarez and Alba found the net either side of Saba Lobzhanidze, but Atlanta levelled up the series last time out thanks to a 94th minute winner from Xande Silva to take it to game three.
It has been a difficult season for Atlanta in 2024, however, the team are still very much alive in the playoffs process and will feel confident about their chances.
The team have only managed ten victories in the regular season, and three of those came in the opening five games of the season against New England, Orlando City and Chicago Fire.
But the team fell to a poor run of results after that, going nine games without a win including five defeats in that period. A 3-1 win over Inter Miami ended that run, and while they lost their next game to Charlotte FC and then drew to Houston Dynamo, they did pick up two more wins in their following three games.
Soon after the team fell to three consecutive defeats, before another five game winless run including three draws. The team secured their playoff spot via the Wild Card thanks to two wins in their final two games, beating New York Red Bulls and Orlando 2-1 each.
They set up the playoff series against Inter Miami by defeating CF Montreal in the Wild Card round on penalties after a 2-2 draw, where they held a two-goal lead at one point.
Some people don’t enjoy the playoff stage in a season, feeling the best team over a period of time deserve to be crowned champions. But this series is exactly why the playoffs are so good.
Atlanta did a fantastic job against Inter Miami in the regular season with a win and a draw, and so far in the playoff series they have more than held their own in both games despite losing the opener and needing a very late winner in the second.
But ultimately, the overall quality and experience of this Miami squad should have more than enough about them to go through to the next round. Over the course of the season no team has scored more than their 82 goals, while in Suarez and Messi they have players who have scored 40 times compared to the 51 te entire Atlanta side has scored over the course of the season.
With the home crowd behind them and the squad knowing they must win or face the humiliation of a first-round exit, expect them to step up and find their way to a comfortable victory inside 90 minutes.
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The greatest player of all-time got that reputation because of just how often he stepped up to the plate and delivered on the biggest stage during his career.
The Argentine forward may be beyond his peak, but he is still easily the best player in the MLS and he has been decisive all season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 appearances.
The squad will look to him to be the creative force and talisman, and it’s rare he lets them down. Back him to find the back of the net and lead the team to victory.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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