Inter Miami’s dream season reaches a pivotal moment as they host Atlanta Untied in Game 3 of their MLS Cup Playoff opener. After splitting the first two games, Saturday’s showdown at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is a decider as Miami aims to avoid an early exit from the playoffs and continue their record run.
For the Herons, this season has been transformational. Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba made Miami the team to beat, winning the Eastern Conference top seed with a record 74 points. But ninth-seeded Atlanta has already shown resilience, win the second match thanks to a spectacular goal from Xande Silva in stoppage time.
Miami’s path to victory will depend on controlling the pace and minimizing defensive mistakes, as Atlanta’s pace caused some problems. Messi, despite missing part of the season, has already posted impressive numbers, and Saturday provides a perfect stage for his playoff breakthrough. Atlanta, meanwhile, will look to thwart the pace of Miami’s midfield, with top scorer Saba Lobzhanidze looking to exploit any mistakes.
With all eyes on Fort Lauderdale, Miami’s star-studded team has the pressure – and the potential – to get closer to a championship. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Follow our live blog below for breaking updates, expert analysis and insight as Messi and Co fight to keep their title hopes alive.
Live5 updates
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Availability of Sergio Busquets
Busquets missed the second game in Atlanta. This week he was also initially ruled out for Game 3. Then, a few hours later, he was reinstated. Now… he is on the bench and should be available in the second half. We’ll see how Miami fares without him.
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How to watch Inter Miami vs Atlanta United
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Time: 8 p.m. ET
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Location: Hunting stadium | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
