Messi and Inter Miami Face Struggling New York City FC in MLS 2024-25

Messi and Inter Miami visit NYCFC, who are winless in their last eight games. Can Miami boost their chances in the Supporters' Shield race?

MLS 2024-25: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami Visit Struggling New York City FC

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC will continue their pursuit of the Supporters' Shield this Saturday afternoon as they visit a struggling New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.

In Messi’s second match since returning from injury, the result wasn’t as productive as his first. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scored two goals and provided one assist in Miami’s 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union last week. However, on Wednesday, Miami had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Atlanta United after conceding a late goal.

Messi, who has now scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists, along with Luis Suarez, who has 17 goals and six assists, came off the bench in the match against Atlanta. Suarez also scored his team's only goal in the 1-1 draw against NYCFC on March 30.

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In the match against Atlanta United, David Ruiz scored his first goal of the season in the first half, while Leo Campana added his 30th career goal for Inter Miami across all competitions. Inter Miami currently sits at the top of the standings with 63 points (19 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses), eight points ahead of both FC Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the race for the most points in MLS.

However, Miami manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino and midfielder Sergio Busquets were absent from the match against Atlanta due to suspensions for accumulating yellow cards.

Assistant coach Javier Morales praised the performance of the team’s young players. "I think the young players did a good job," said Morales, as quoted by The Miami Herald. "It’s not easy for them to step up after not playing much, but they showed their quality on the field."

Meanwhile, NYCFC (11 wins, 11 draws, 7 losses, 40 points) continues to struggle, extending their winless streak to eight matches (0 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses) after suffering a 5-1 defeat against the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, NYCFC coach Nick Cushing remains optimistic. “As I’ve said before, if we were completely outplayed or pressed by the opposition, I would be worried about the playoffs,” said Cushing. “However, I’ve seen enough this season to give me confidence that we will return to winning ways.”

Alonso Martinez scored NYCFC’s lone goal in the match against Philadelphia Union, and he also found the net in the previous encounter with Inter Miami.