With a seven-point lead atop the overall MLS standings and six matches with which to confirm their first-ever Supporters' Shield, Inter Miami travel north to visit Atlanta United on Wednesday as the regular season nears a conclusion.
Lionel Messi is back in business, returning from his two-month-long ankle injury on the weekend with his usual magic, contributing to all three goals in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union at home. Tata Martino has said that Messi will be available for the next two league matches, but contrary to those comments, the Argentine has been rotated out to the bench for tonight along with aging veterans Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.
Inter Miami need a maximum of nine more points from their last six games if they are to mathematically confirm their MLS regular season title, but that number could fall if the LA Galaxy and FC Cincinnati drop any results of their own along the way.
Atlanta, meanwhile, are in the thick of the playoff hunt, sitting in ninth just two points behind D.C. United in the final postseason position, but they also have a game in hand on both D.C. and Toronto above them.
LIVE BLOG: Follow along with updates & highlights as Inter Miami faces Atlanta United in MLS action
Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami live stream, TV channel
- Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
- TV channel: None
- Streaming: MLS Season Pass from Apple TV
The MLS match between Atlanta United and Inter Miami will be available exclusively to MLS Season Pass subscribers on Apple TV.
With the home stretch in view, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is now offering its lowest price of the season. Fans can sign up for a seasonal subscription to MLS Season Pass for just $9.99 to catch the remainder of the 2024 season, including the MLS Cup playoffs. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up for a seasonal subscription to MLS Season Pass for free for the remainder of the 2024 season and playoffs.
What time is Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami kickoff?
This MLS regular season match kicks off from Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, Sep. 18 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Atlanta, Georgia.
Here's how that time translates across the time zones in North America:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Wed, Sep. 18 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Central Time | Wed, Sep. 18 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Wed, Sep. 18 | 5:30 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Wed, Sep. 18 | 4:30 p.m. |
Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami lineups & team news
Without the offloaded Thiago Almada and Giorgis Giakoumakis, this Atlanta United forward unit has looked utterly stale. Injuries are not to blame, as the only fitness concerns for the side today are to third-choice goalkeeper Quentin Westberg and right-back Ronald Hernandez
Midfielder Tristan Muyumba has returned from his hip issue and slots back into the starting lineup, while Dax McCarty starts ahead of his impending retirement at the end of the season.
New signing Aleksey Miranchuk has only just begun to see the field after arriving from Atalanta at the end of the transfer window, and is still seeking his first goal contribution for his new club.
Atlanta United projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Guzan (GK) — Lennon, Gregersen, D. Williams, Amador — Muyumba, McCarty, Slisz — Miranchuk, Rios, Saba.
While it was expected that Lionel Messi will be ready to start this match given Tata Martino's pre-match comments, he is rotated out and placed on the bench alongside Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.
Inter Miami are missing a host of central defenders for this match. Both Tomas Aviles and Sergio Busquets (who has been playing along the back a lot this season) picked up yellow-card suspensions and will miss out. Noah Allen is "fine" according to Martino, but after taking a blow to the head late in Saturday's game, he is in concussion protocol and will not be available. Nicolas Freire is out for the season with an ACL tear, and new signing David Martinez picked up a groin injury Saturday.
Along the back it's Ian Fray and Sergiy Kryvtsov who get the start, while Franco Negri sees time in place of Alba and Leo Campana starts up front. Kryvtsov has seen his playing time drop this season, which Martino chalked up to the mental challenges of the war back in his native Ukraine.
Inter Miami projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Callender (GK) — Weigandt, Kryvtsov, Fray, Negri — Gressel, Bright, Cremaschi — D. Ruiz, Campana, Taylor.
MORE: Find out which games are streaming free on MLS Season pass from Apple TV each week
Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami prediction, betting odds & lines
- Score prediction: Atlanta United 1-3 Inter Miami
With Lionel Messi now back and healthy, it will be exceedingly difficult to keep the Herons from scoring three or more goals each time out.
The key is to keep up with them from a scoring perspective, because Inter Miami can be vulnerable at times, especially with so many defenders out for this midweek game, but Atlanta United's attacking unit has not been good enough to trust, and teams seem to lose their finishing boots when playing Inter Miami anyways.
| BetMGM (USA) | |
| Atlanta win | +190 |
| Draw | +275 |
| Miami win | +135 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -250 N: +175 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | O: +100 U: -140 |
| Miami -0.5 goals | +125 |
| Atlanta +0.5 goals | -185 |
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