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Inter Miami will be hoping to climb the standing and end their wretched run of form under new boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino as they take on Austin FC this weekend. The game takes place at PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and kicks off at 12:30am UK time on Sunday morning.
Inter Miami
Let’s face it, you’ll be hearing a lot more about Inter Miami over the coming months. The headlines are unlikely to focus on their terrible run of form which has left them rock-bottom of the Eastern conference having taken just 15 points from their opening 18 fixtures, but more so on their star-studded playing squad.
Match has ended
Lionel Messi won’t make his debut until at least mid-July (the rumours suggest that it come against Cruz Azul on July 21st), however, the superstar Argentinian has also been joined by former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets.
Furthermore, the club has announced that former Barcelona coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has succeeded Phil Neville as head coach of the club. Although it didn’t go according to plan at Mexico for the experienced gaffer, he has previously enjoyed success in Major League Soccer with Atlanta United and on the face of it, this appears to be an excellent appointment.
On the pitch, Inter Miami desperately require some respite and they’ll be looking to put an end to their seven match losing streak which has included heavy losses to Philadelphia Union and Orlando City.
Austin FC
Austin FC have been going about their business quietly in recent weeks and although this is a tricky cross-conference trip for the Texans, it is far from one of their longest commutes of the campaign.
They made a slow-ish start to the season which was partially blamed on their CONCACAF Champions League exertions, however, they appear to have regained a foothold over the last couple of months and they’ve won five of their last eight matches which has helped to propel them into play-off contention.
They’ve scored three times without reply in each of their last two matches, however, their away form remains largely troublesome. On the road, they’ve managed just two victories and have conceded 2+ goals in six of their last seven. This could be a great opportunity for the hosts to rediscover their goal-scoring instincts.
Head to Head
As both of these two sides are relatively new franchises in Major League Soccer, there have been just two previous meetings between the pair. Both matches have been thoroughly entertaining contests with February’s club friendly ending 2-2. That match was played in a neutral location.
The only competitive meeting between these sides was dominated by Austin who ran out 5-1 winners in March 2022. Ethan Finlay, who has netted in each of his last two matches found the net twice in that encounter at the Q2 Stadium.
Key Betting Stats
- There have been at least two goals in each of Austin’s eight away games this season
- Austin are yet to keep a clean sheet on the road this season. Inter Miami are the only other side to share their unwanted record.
- Just over a quarter of the goals that Austin FC have conceded this season have come between the 81st and the 90th
- Only three sides have conceded more goals than Inter Miami so far this season.
- BTTS has landed in four of the last five Inter Miami home matches
- 33% (6) of Inter Miami’s games have been goalless at the break.
Match Prediction
This could be a good opportunity for Inter Miami to snap out of their losing run. Although Messi won’t feature at least another three weeks, the club will have picked up plenty of new fans over the last few weeks and this looks like a chance to potentially impress some of those newer converts. Austin FC have been far better lately, but their away form still leaves a lot to be desired. This could be another entertaining 90 minutes too.
Winning Combo
Over 2.5 Goals, BTTS and Ethan Finlay to Score Anytime
Odds – 13/2 with Bet365 Bet Builder
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