After his first eight games with Inter Miami came in knockout competitions, Lionel Messi will now officially begin life in Major League Soccer as his team travel to the New York Red Bulls for a league matchup on Saturday.
Inter Miami sit bottom of the Eastern Conference but look a revitalized side after Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba joined a month ago.
The club paused MLS play to compete in the Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup, winning the former and securing a place in the latter's final. Now, with league play beginning again, Messi has just 11 matches to pull Inter Miami out of the basement and charge for a playoff spot, which currently sits 14 points away.
Messi and the other Inter Miami stars, however, will need rest in the coming games, and that has begun today as Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets do not start for Inter Miami, beginning the game on the bench.
LIVE BLOG: Follow along with highlights & commentary as Inter Miami meet the New York Red Bulls
New York Red Bulls vs Inter Miami live stream, TV channel
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| Streaming | |
|---|---|
| Global | Apple TV+ (MLS Season Pass) |
What time does New York Red Bulls vs Inter Miami kick off?
This MLS match at Red Bull Arena kicks off on Saturday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Harrison, New Jersey.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada (Eastern) | Sat, Aug. 26 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada (Pacific) | Sat, Aug. 26 | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| UK | Sun, Aug. 27 | 12:30 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun, Aug. 27 | 9:30 a.m. AEST |
| India | Sun, Aug. 27 | 5 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Sun, Aug. 27 | 7:30 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Sun, Aug. 27 | 7:30 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Sun, Aug. 27 | 7:30 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Sun, Aug. 27 | 9:30 a.m. NZST |
MORE: All the players who have swapped shirts with Lionel Messi since joining Inter Miami
New York Red Bulls vs Inter Miami starting lineups & team news
Injuries for the NY Red Bull squad to contend with include the loss of Dylan Nealis to core surgery, while Lewis Morgan is out with a similar problem. Kyle Duncan is missing due to yellow card accumulation after picking one up last time out in a substitute appearance. Cory Burke has been out with a hip issue but returns to make tonight's bench.
Head coach Troy Lesesne has rotated his team constantly, making predicting their starting XI difficult, and this time he's gone with a clogged five-man midfield. Frankie Amaya steps in as an additional body, in place of striker Dante Vanezir.
In the 1-0 win over D.C. United last time out, young USMNT prospect John Tolkin snatched an 88th minute winner to grab the three points and put more pressure on those around them in the playoff race, including Inter Miami.
RBNY starting lineup (4-5-1): Coronel (GK) — Harper, Reyes, S. Nealis, Tolkin — O. Fernandez, Edelman, Yearwood, Amaya, Luquinhas — Manoel.
Gerardo Martino strongly hinted that players will need to be rotated throughout the next few matches, and it appears that will already take effect today, with Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets both not starting, instead listed amongst the substitutes. The two will still likely come off the bench, presumably for 20-30 minutes.
There are some other players who are likely candidates for rest. Thirty-two-year-old center-back Serhiy Kryvtsov took a beating in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal just days ago and is replaced by young Argentine Tomas Aviles. Jean Mota returned from injury but is not selected for this match, as Dixon Arroyo steps in for Busquets.
Leonardo Campana's two goals against FC Cincinnati earned him more starts up front, and Facundo Farias looked bright off the bench, earning him time in the attack.
Inter Miami starting lineup (3-5-2): Callender (GK) — Aviles, Miller, Allen — Taylor, D. Gomez, Arroyo, D. Ruiz, Alba — Campana, Farias.
New York Red Bulls vs Inter Miami betting odds & lines
Inter Miami have begun to show real signs of fatigue following the exhausting Leagues Cup and U.S. Open Cup schedule, and as a new-look team get set to attempt a truly challenging league comeback, Gerardo Martino has a real task on his hands to keep the players fresh despite the huge importance of each remaining game.
Still, Inter Miami managed to grind out draws with the best MLS has to offer, and the Red Bulls are not amongst that upper echelon. Sitting 11th in the league table, they profile as a team like the many Inter Miami shredded before eventually meeting their match against the league's best sides.
| RBNY win | Draw | Inter Miami win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | RBNY -0.5 | MIA +0.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | +135 | +260 | +170 | -175 / +125 | -155 / +110 | +125 | -185 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | 2.38 | 3.79 | 2.56 | 1.53 / 2.19 | 1.69 / 2.14 | 2.27 | 1.61 |
| Top Betting Sites (UK) | 13/10 | 12/5 | 17/10 | 8/13, 6/5 | 7/10, 11/10 | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 2.45 | 3.45 | 2.70 | 1.55 / 2.40 | 1.65 / 2.20 | — | — |
| Dafabet (India) | 2.37 | 3.65 | 2.80 | 1.59 / 2.32 | — | — | — |
