Messi’s special reunion with his former club

Lionel Messi was under contract with Paris St. Germain from 2021 to 2023, but was unable to live up to the huge expectations placed on him. Neither as an individual nor as part of the team was the Argentine able to build on the successes of previous years. After two years, his ill-fated interlude in the French capital came to an end and the eight-time world footballer of the year moved to South Florida. With his current club, the 2018 World Cup winner will now face his former club.

The omens ahead of the Club World Cup round of 16 could hardly be clearer. While Paris won the UEFA Champions League less than a month ago, Inter Miami’s participation in this intercontinental tournament alone has caused much debate. Anything less than a commanding victory for the star-studded ensemble from the City of Love on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. German time would be a huge surprise. There are very few compelling arguments to support a prediction that Inter Miami will be the underdog against PSG.

The PSG vs. Inter Miami odds on the three-way market also suggest that fans in Atlanta can expect a one-sided affair. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the PSG stars have struggled with the extreme and unfamiliar conditions in the US so far. Nevertheless, the triple winners from France are clear favorites, with odds of 1.20 for a win after regular time.

PSG – Statistics & current form

Paris Saint Germain, as the newly crowned French champions, cup winners and Champions League winners, are of course also hot favourites for overall victory in this 2025 Club World Cup. Ahead of PSG’s round of 16 clash with Inter Miami, the betting odds for coach Luis Enrique’s team winning the Club World Cup title are 4.00 on average.

In other words, the Red and Blues are considered the favorites to lift the trophy. Nevertheless, such a bet should be viewed with caution, because if they advance on Sunday evening against Inter Miami, they will face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, provided the latter successfully completes its task in the round of 16 against Flamengo.

Will Paris St. Germain do just enough against Miami?

First, however, the players from the Seine will be fully focused on their first knockout game in this tournament. From the favorite’s point of view, it will be important to accept the conditions, which remain unfavorable. Successful coach Luis Enrique was furious after the 2-0 win in the last group game against Seattle Sounders about the heat and the dull, barely watered artificial turf pitches, which make clever combination play impossible. He was certainly speaking from the heart of his players, who nevertheless did not let anything slip and advanced to the round of 16 as group winners.

However, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Kvaratskhelia and Co. are not immune to slip-ups, as was evident on the second matchday when the French side lost 1-0 to Botafogo after a disappointing performance. However, this defeat can safely be dismissed as a blip, especially since Les Parisiens outclassed Atlético Madrid 4-0 in their opening game. A normal performance should be enough this weekend for a prediction on the favorite between PSG and Inter Miami to pay off.

If you look at the tactics in more detail, the air becomes even thinner for the underdogs from Florida. Firstly, because PSG’s pressing will literally overwhelm the Miami players, who are clearly inferior in terms of quality, and force them into making poor decisions. Secondly, because the club led by former world star David Beckham relies on experienced players such as Messi and Suarez in attack rather than classic counter-attacking players. This is one of the reasons why it threatens to be a one-sided affair. In my opinion, even a two-goal lead for Paris at half-time is within the realm of possibility and can be played risk-free with Betano’s $20 free bet at attractive top odds of 3.05.

Predicted line-up:
Donnarumma – Nuno Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi – Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves – Kvaratskhelia, Mayulu, Doué

Inter Miami – Statistics & current form

For Inter Miami, reaching the knockout stages is already a huge success. In Group A, Palmeiras and FC Porto had actually been considered much stronger. Even fourth and last place behind Al-Ahly from Cairo would not have been a big surprise. After a lucky 0-0 draw against the Egyptians in their opening game, however, the local heroes improved considerably, sensationally beating Porto 2-1 and also scoring in the final game with a 2-2 draw against the Brazilian representatives from Sao Paulo.

Although this secured them an unbeaten place in the round of 16, the aforementioned draw against Palmeiras could have been the “neckbreaker” for a deeper run in the tournament. Inter Miami carelessly squandered a 2-0 lead and were knocked out of first place in Group A.

Instead of having at least a realistic chance of advancing against Botafogo, it will now definitely take a minor football miracle to eliminate the best club team in Europe at the moment. Should the “Herons” defy the odds and pull it off, odds of up to 8.00 are available on the PSG vs. Inter Miami match in the Bwin app. As a new customer, you can also take advantage of free betting credit with the Bwin bonus code.

Inter Miami has no shortage of experience…

For many Miami pros, the clash with Paris Saint Germain will be a trip down memory lane. Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez were once under contract with FC Barcelona and played under Luis Enrique as coach. The aforementioned connection between Lionel Messi and the French serial champions has already been explored in detail in the introduction.

Although the southern team still boasts some big names and made it to the semi-finals of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions League, it is not necessarily one of the top teams in the MLS. Messi and Co. have won only half of the 16 matches they have played so far.

Against a strong and superior opponent, the players from “Vice City” are therefore likely to reach their limits. Messi and Suarez will probably see little of the ball against the aggressive pressing of the French side. Only if coach Javier Mascherano’s team, who is a close friend of Luis Enrique, manages to keep a clean sheet for a long time and perhaps score from set pieces, does a sensation seem conceivable. However, it is more likely that the Red and Blues will make short work of their opponents and steer the game in their own direction early on.

Predicted line-up:
Ustari – Allen, Falcon Picart, Aviles, Weigandt – Segovia, Busquets, Redondo, Allende – Messi, Suarez

PSG – Inter Miami Head-to-head record / H2H record

This is the first time ever that the two clubs have faced each other in a competitive match. However, it is already the fourth European-American clash in the current Club World Cup. The UEFA representatives have come out on top twice, including Paris St. Germain’s 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders. Inter Miami won 2-1 against FC Porto on one occasion.

PSG – Inter Miami Prediction

Now that the wheat has been separated from the chaff in the group stage of this Club World Cup, there are some exciting matches coming up in the round of 16. However, the excitement surrounding the match between Paris St. Germain and Inter Miami is primarily due to Lionel Messi, who is looking to cause a sensation against his former club. In purely sporting terms, it is a clash of worlds, which is why the French triple winners are considered the clear favorites. Despite the southerners’ good preliminary round, I don’t believe that coach Javier Mascherano’s team can pose any serious problems for the newly crowned Champions League winners.

To make matters worse for the underdogs, Paris’ high pressing style of play does not suit Inter Miami’s style of play at all. Although the star-studded team from the Seine has struggled to find its feet on the dull artificial turf in extreme heat for 90 minutes, there are many indications that the red and blue will comfortably reach the quarter-finals, where they could face Bayern Munich. In any case, my PSG vs. Inter Miami tip is for a handicap win for the favorites with at least a two-goal advantage. Bet365 is offering odds of 1.54 as the maximum. I’m betting seven out of a maximum of ten units.