By James Nalton
The Messi query
Lionel Messi hasn’t featured in an MLS match since February twenty second when he performed the total 90 minutes within the season opener in opposition to New York Metropolis.
He has since missed the wins in opposition to Houston Dynamo and Charlotte FC, in addition to the primary leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup final 16 tie in opposition to Jamaican facet Cavalier.
He did return for the second leg in opposition to Cavalier in Kingston on Thursday evening, coming off the bench within the second half and scoring within the ultimate minutes of the sport to provide Inter Miami a 4-0 mixture victory.
With Miami already answerable for the tie, this may very well be seen as a transfer by head coach Javier Mascherano to get Messi again within the groove forward of constructing an look in opposition to Atlanta United on Sunday.
An (surprising?) resilience
Inter Miami’s current picture is certainly one of flamboyant, big-name signings and particular person star performances, however all through their Messi-era they’ve additionally needed to depend on hard-fought slender victories.
All these performances have been required in most video games to date this season, having had a participant despatched off in all three of their MLS matches to date in 2025.
Two of these pink playing cards got here within the first half, however they nonetheless managed to say factors in these video games — a 2-2 draw in opposition to New York Metropolis within the season opener, and a 1-0 win in opposition to Charlotte final weekend.
Mascherano remains to be a relative unknown amount as a coach, however this potential to win ugly and with out Messi has been promising for Miami’s possibilities come the playoffs on the finish of the season.
Tadeo Allende’s influence
Mascherano has to take some credit score for Inter Miami’s resilient begin. However the crew has been helped by very helpful performances from some new gamers.
We picked out Telasco Segovia as a participant to observe forward of the sport in opposition to Houston, and he has definitely lived as much as that billing, scoring twice in a 4-1 win in that sport, however the different standout attacker in Messi’s absence, other than Luis Suárez, has been new signing on mortgage from Celta Vigo, Tadeo Allende.
The 26-year-old Argentine has scored in each his MLS begins, together with netting the all-important objective within the win in opposition to Charlotte, and has additionally scored twice within the Champions Cup.
Enjoying from both flank, he has the very best common FotMob score of any Miami participant not named Messi or Suárez.
What about Atlanta?
With a brand new head coach, the return of a membership legend, and a league report signing, Atlanta have said their intention to problem Inter Miami for MLS honours this season.
Ex-Celtic supervisor Ronny Deila arrived because the crew’s new head coach having received the MLS Cup beforehand with New York Metropolis FC, Miguel Almirón returned to the facet the place he made his title earlier than becoming a member of Newcastle, and Emmanuel Latte Lath joined from Middlesbrough for a reported £22.5m — the very best switch charge ever paid by an MLS crew.
Atlanta are nonetheless making an attempt to get all these new elements to click on and have solely received certainly one of their three video games this season, however their intention of difficult on the high is obvious.
Having knocked Inter Miami out of the playoffs in an upset final season, they are going to be trying to do one thing related in 2025.
Prediction
A 2-2 draw. With no extra Champions Cup video games till April, Inter Miami can focus solely on MLS, however Atlanta will probably be up for this sport, as will their followers within the Mercedes-Benz stadium, which needs to be rocking for such a giant match.
(Cowl Picture from IMAGO)
You possibly can comply with each match from MLS stay this season with FotMob — that includes deep stats protection together with shot maps, xG, and participant scores. Obtain the free app right here.