Will Messi strike again on the Hudson River?
Inter Miami has bounced back strongly in Major League Soccer after a thoroughly impressive performance at the FIFA Club World Cup, where their journey only came to an end in the round of 16 against eventual finalists Paris Saint-Germain. However, after three more wins in a row, there was a setback during the week: the Herons were defeated 3-0 by Cincinnati. Nevertheless, the odds are in favor of Beckham’s club when New York Red Bulls take on Inter Miami.
After all, the star-studded ensemble from the Sunshine State still has Messi, the player who makes all the difference, in its ranks. The Argentine scored twice in five consecutive MLS games, but failed to find the net for the first time in the 3-0 defeat in Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see whether “La Pulga” ends his brief goal drought on the Hudson River when New York Red Bulls take on Inter Miami.
In any case, this match promises to be a high-scoring affair. The last three meetings between the two teams alone produced a total of 17 goals. Most recently, the Herons defeated the Red Bulls 4-1 in front of their home crowd in early May. The three goals Messi has already scored against the New York club in his career are even surpassed by his congenial strike partner Luis Suárez, who has scored four times against the Red Bulls.
New York Red Bulls – Statistics & current form
The New York Red Bulls won the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2024, but ultimately missed out on the MLS Cup after a 1-2 defeat to LA Galaxy. It was their second defeat in the final after 2008, meaning that the club formerly known as Metro has once again lost a major final. In 2003 and 2017, the Red Bulls also lost in the final of the US Open Cup.
In the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, German coach Sandro Schwarz’s team is currently ranked eighth, which would still be enough to qualify for the playoffs. After five MLS games in a row without a win (three draws, two defeats), the recent dry spell finally came to an end on Wednesday night with a 5-3 home win over New England.
New York Red Bulls need to improve defensively
It is nevertheless striking that the New Jersey-based club simply cannot find defensive stability on the pitch. Even in the win against New England, they conceded three goals. The Red Bulls have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last six league games. In four of those six games, they conceded two goals, which further reinforces our prediction that keeper Coronel will have to pick the ball out of the net twice against Messi and Co.
One bright spot is the offense, which has Bundesliga experience and may soon be bolstered by Timo Werner. Both former RBL player Emil Forsberg and former Bayern substitute Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting scored twice against pursuers New England, bringing the goal tally to 38 in 23 league games. Only five teams in the Eastern Conference have done better.
Predicted line-up for New York Red Bulls:
Coronel – Valencia, Eile, Nealis, Duncan – Edelman, Donkor – Carmona, Forsberg, Sofo – Choupo-Moting
Inter Miami – Statistics & current form
Inter Miami not only finished the 2024 MLS Eastern Conference in first place, but also secured first place in the overall table and the Community Shield that came with it, although this did not prevent the team from being knocked out in the very first round of the playoffs. Nevertheless, the star-studded ensemble from the Sunshine State earned the right to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, where Javier Mascherano’s team certainly delivered. The Herons survived the group stage unscathed before Paris Saint-Germain proved too strong in the round of 16 (0-4).
Now the club, which plays in striking pink jerseys, is back in action in Major League Soccer. Three games have been postponed due to their participation in the Club World Cup. If all three are won, it would be enough to return to first place in the Eastern Conference, currently eight points behind leaders Philadelphia.
Inter Miami has the strongest attack in the Eastern Conference
After five wins in a row, with Messi scoring twice in each game, there was a setback during the week. The men from Florida were defeated 0-3 by Cincinnati. Nevertheless, with 44 goals from 20 games, the club remains the undisputed goal machine of the Eastern Conference, even though virtually all other clubs have already played three more games. The fact that Argentine world champion Rodrigo de Paul is now also on his way is likely to make the team, which is looking to set off another goal fireworks display on the Hudson River, all the more dangerous.
Considering that the Herons have scored an incredible ten goals in their last two games against New York, the odds for an away win in New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami could well be worth considering. At Bet365, where new customers can get up to €100 in betting credits with the Bet365 bonus, odds of 2.40 are being offered for this.
Inter Miami’s expected line-up:
Ustari – Alba, Falcón, Avilés, Weigandt – Stegovia, Busquets, Cremaschi, Allende – Suárez, Messi
New York Red Bulls – Inter Miami Head-to-head record
Head to head: 6 – 0 – 5
Only eleven matches have been played between the two teams so far, and curiously, there has never been a draw. The New York Red Bulls have won six times and Inter Miami five times. The last two encounters were very clear victories for the Herons, who scored an incredible ten goals in these games and just defeated New York 4–1 in front of their home crowd on May 4, 2025.
New York Red Bulls – Inter Miami Tip
Overall, the betting odds for New York Red Bulls against Inter Miami are fairly even at the best bookmakers, which underlines that the three-way system should not be the first choice for this match. Instead, it makes a lot of sense to bet on a high-scoring duel, especially since the last three encounters between these two clubs have always seen at least four goals per game and a total of 17 goals.
While the Red Bulls conceded three goals again in their recent 5-3 win over New England, Messi and Suárez have been very reliable goal scorers for the Herons lately. Accordingly, it is interesting to predict that the visitors will score at least two goals at the Hudson River in the match between New York Red Bulls and Inter Miami.