There’s a lot at stake. This Saturday at Chase Stadium, the Inter Miami faces Atlanta United with the chance to secure home-field advantage in the Major League Soccer playoffs. Messi won’t be on the field, but his absence only adds more weight to the match. On paper, it’s a favorable matchup for the hosts. In reality, it could reveal a lot about what lies ahead in the postseason.
Inter Miami’s firepower meets a big absence
The 4-1 win over the New England Revolution, with two goals from Jordi Alba, two from Tadeo Allende, and three assists from Lionel Messi, showed just how explosive Inter Miami’s attack can be. Messi reached 41 direct goal involvements this season, second only to Carlos Vela’s 49 in 2019. But this Saturday, he’ll be with the Argentina national team. That changes everything.
Without their captain, the attacking responsibility spreads out. Inter has scored 72 goals this season, with 56 coming from forwards and attacking midfielders. Messi leads the way with 24 goals, Allende has 11, Suárez is right behind with nine, and Segovia has chipped in with seven. Those numbers highlight a team used to scoring, but they also make it clear how central the Argentine star is to the entire system.
Beyond the technical brilliance, there’s a strategic factor at play: a win on Saturday would guarantee home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. That matters. Playing at Chase Stadium, with a confident team and their fans behind them, could make all the difference in a short, intense postseason. Without Messi, this game is a real test of collective maturity. It’s a chance to show they can win without depending on one man’s talent.
Atlanta United’s short-handed squad and a season already over
Atlanta United’s situation couldn’t be more different. The team sits in 14th place with only five wins and is already out of the playoff race. They’re coming off a loss to LAFC and will face Inter Miami in the middle of a temporary roster shake-up: eight players are away on international duty. Head coach Ronny Deila has no choice but to improvise. Cayman Togashi and Jamal Thiaré are expected to be options up front. Emmanuel Latte Lath, the team’s top scorer with seven goals, is still recovering from injury and may not be ready to start. Without Alexey Miranchuk and Miguel Almirón, Atlanta loses creativity and attacking depth.
The game doesn’t mean much in the standings for the visitors, but it does in terms of attitude. It’s exactly the kind of match where a team with nothing to lose can make life complicated for an opponent that has everything on the line.