Rob Valentino is delighted Atlanta United have hit their stride in time for the MLS playoffs and is relishing their Finest-of-3 Spherical One conflict with Inter Miami at Chase Stadium.
The 5 Stripes overturned the chances on Determination Day to snag a spot within the Jap Convention Wild Card spherical.
They took a 2-0 lead over CF Montreal earlier than former participant Josef Martinez pegged them again to pressure spot-kicks. Brad Guzan saved one, organising Saba Lobjanidze to attain the winner.
A tricky take a look at now awaits them in Miami on Friday, however Valentino is bound they will give you a plan to get the higher of Lionel Messi and co.
“Now we have labored so arduous this season, each coaching, each sport,” he mentioned. “Now we’re beginning to succeed, and it’s one of the best timing ultimately of the season to indicate that. Three in a row is superb! Let’s proceed!
“I feel each time a staff performs them, [how to stop Messi is] the query that’s requested, proper? He’s arguably one of the best participant that’s ever performed.
“We’ve confronted him a number of occasions and we all know clearly his qualities. However they’ve obtained different gamers which can be good, too. So there must be a concentrate on him and likewise these teammates round him.
“We’ll simply present up when the sport is there, and we’ll go to win it.”
Spherical One. We Prepared #UniteThe404 pic.twitter.com/sslEt4ESPf
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) October 23, 2024
In the meantime, Miami, who’re taking part in their first house playoff sport, completed the common season in record-breaking trend, with their 6-2 victory over New England Revolution taking them to 74 factors.
The Supporters’ Protect winners are on an 11-match unbeaten streak coming into this match, and head coach Gerardo Martino believes their robust end will profit them within the playoffs.
“[The record points total] offers our staff an injection of confidence,” mentioned Martino.
“These 74 factors will not be one thing we aimed for at the beginning of the 12 months, however as quickly because it was inside attain, we tried to get it and we did it. It’s a triumph for the entire Inter Miami household.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter Miami – Lionel Messi
Messi was concerned in 1.82 direct objective contributions per 90 minutes this season, his highest charge in a league season in over a decade.
His 11-minute hat-trick off the bench in opposition to New England final day out took him to twenty objectives for the marketing campaign, including to his 10 assists, and he’s certain to be a risk within the playoffs.
Outline accuracy Leo Messi is the @mls participant of the month pic.twitter.com/OOw0yAsNf0
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 22, 2024
Atlanta United – Saba Lobjanidze
Lobjanidze has give you massive objectives all through the season for Atlanta, however none extra so than his match-winning penalty in opposition to Montreal on Tuesday.
Although that doesn’t rely in the direction of his nine-goal haul for the season, he was nonetheless a risk within the Wild Card match, having three pictures, two of which had been on the right track, whereas he additionally had probably the most touches within the field amongst his team-mates (eight).
MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN
After a convincing finish to the season, Miami are unsurprisingly favourites to win the primary of the Finest-of-3 sequence, however they’ve stumbled when developing in opposition to Atlanta as of late, drawing their most up-to-date assembly after two straight defeats.
They misplaced simply twice at Chase Stadium within the common season (W11 D4), with the latest of these a 3-1 defeat to the 5 Stripes again in Could, although they’re unbeaten of their eight such matches since.
It’s simply the second time that Miami have made the playoffs – their solely earlier playoff match was a 3-0 defeat on the street at New York Metropolis FC in Spherical One in 2022.
In the meantime, Atlanta are making their fifth look within the playoffs. They received the MLS Cup again in 2018, however of their two most up-to-date appearances within the postseason, they’ve didn’t get previous Spherical One, shedding to Columbus Crew.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter Miami – 62.7%
Draw – 19.8%
Atlanta United – 17.5%
