This article is also available in French.
Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati Preview
Inter Miami welcomes FC Cincinnati to Chase Stadium as the Herons look to extend their lead to eight points on August 24 at 7:30 pm. Both teams enter the game having crashed out of the Leagues Cup round of 16.
Miami and Cincy have been battling it out atop the Eastern Conference for much of the season. Can Cincinnati make it two from two against the Herons or will Miami further stake their claim as league leaders?
Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati have clashed nine times in the MLS. Neither team has an edge in the rivalry with both neck and neck at four wins a piece and a draw. They last met at the beginning of July at TQL Stadium in Cincy.
Cincinnati decimated the Herons in a dominating 6-1 victory. Yūya Kubo slotted home inside the first ten minutes after Luca Orellano played him through from an excellent solo run. The Cincy attack was formidable and put pressure on Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender, but it was the Herons who struck next. Serhiy Kryvtsov headed in Julian Gressel’s cross in the 21st minute to level the game. That was as good as it got for Miami on the day.
The Herons’ defence gave Luciano Acosta too much space in the box and he scored to take back the lead for Cincy in the 36th minute. Pavel Bucha struck two minutes later and Yamil Asad finished in added time to extend Cincy’s lead to 4-1 at half-time. Kubo added another goal to his tally in the 57th minute. Sergio Busquets received a red card five minutes later to further worsen Miami’s day at the office. Gerardo Valenzuela made it six in the 72nd minute and the Herons left Cincinnati embarrassed.
Inter Miami last played on August 13 in the Leagues Cup round of 16 against Columbus Crew. The Herons took a quick lead when Matias Rojas headed home from Diego Gomez’s cross. The Crew chipped away at the Miami defence, but Callender stood strong to keep them out and enter half-time 1-0.
Miami took advantage of their opponent’s poor finishing to go two ahead in the 62nd minute. Diego Gomez played a smart one-two with Luis Suarez before curling the ball in from close range. Miami had a firm lead but fell asleep defensively. They left Christian Ramirez unmarked in the box to nod in Max Arfsten’s cross in the 67th minute. Diego Rossi arrived late at the back post to stroke home Cucho Hernández’s cross two minutes later and level the game. Miami had allowed momentum to shift and Columbus completed an incredible comeback with a goal in the 80th minute to seal a 3-2 win.
FC Cincinnati also played their last game in the Leagues Cup round of 16, clashing with Philadelphia Union. Cincy finished the game with more possession and more shots on target, but quality finishing was the difference in their 4-2 defeat. Philadelphia thought they had scored in the fourth minute, but VAR overturned Mikael Uhre’s goal after he drifted offside. The first half was end to end and Yūya Kubo perhaps should have scored when he hit the post from close range, but the game was goalless at the break.
A thrilling second half began with Uhre putting Philadelphia ahead five minutes in with a smart finish into the bottom left corner. Cincy was scrambling at the back from a counterattack in the 61st minute and Tal Baribo took advantage, scoring from a long-range effort to go ahead by two. Pavel Bucha halved the deficit five minutes later and Cincy pushed for a leveller. DeAndre Yedlin tapped home in the 80th minute to make the score 2-2. However, Cincinnati’s dominance was undone quickly, and goals in the 81st and 84th minute from Baribo and Quinn Sullivan sunk Cincy, losing 4-2.
Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati Predictions
Correct score predictions: Inter Miami 2-1 FC Cincinnati
Both sides have been excellent in the MLS this season. The Herons sit first in the Eastern Conference with Cincy five points below in second. Tata Martino’s attacking style of play has been formidable and his team has scored more goals than any side in the league. Cincy humiliated Miami the last time they met, but the Herons were without stars like Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, Matías Rojas, and Tomas Aviles. They will play in Fort Lauderdale with a stronger team and with revenge in mind. Our soccer prediction is for a Miami victory.
Cincinnati won the battle for midfield in the last meeting. Pat Noonan’s 3-4-3 setup overwhelmed Miami, overwhelming the middle of the soccer pitch. The Herons did not use the wide areas effectively to pin back Cincy’s wingbacks. This is something we have seen them learn from. Despite their loss to Columbus, they were on top for large portions of the game. Federico Redondo and Marcelo Weigandt pushed further up the field from fullback, posing more of a threat on counterattacks and nullifying the Crew’s width. This is somewhere Jordi Alba can excel. The Spaniard didn’t play in the last meeting with Cincy nor against Columbus. His attacking prowess as a wingback will be invaluable in this game.
Luis Suarez will play Cincy for the first time this season in this game. In the reverse fixture, the striker was with the Uruguay squad for Copa America. The former Liverpool and Barcelona man is Miami’s top scorer this season, netting 12 times in the MLS. He has not found the net since June 2 but his overall game is a lot more than just goals. His quick feet and link-up play were on show in Miami’s last game and will be very important here. Rojas and Campana will play off the Uruguayan and look to play him in and he presents a test that Cincinnati has not faced yet.
Miami will have to have an answer for Luciano Acosta in this game. The attacking midfielder has been Cincy’s talisman this season, notching an incredible 29 goal contributions. That is more than any player in the MLS in 2024. The Argentinian tore Miami apart in their last meeting, finishing with four assists and a goal. Any of Cincinnati’s success will probably come through Acosta, and the Herons must keep him quiet.
Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati Betting Tips
Inter Miami will host FC Cincinnati at Chase Stadium. The league leaders have the home advantage and are favourites for this game. They are priced attractively at plus money and with most of their stars back they can get revenge here. We like a bet on Inter Miami to win, worth +106 at Novibet.
Luciano Acosta has been on fire this season and starred in Cincinnati’s victory over Miami in July. The Argentinian is their biggest goal threat and their best playmaker. He will be heavily involved in Cincinnati’s attacks in this game. Acosta averages around one shot on target per game and the MLS odds will look favourably on him here after his performances this season. Wager on the attacking midfielder to have a shot on target.
Our online sportsbook has the over/under at 2.5 goals for this game. There were seven goals between these sides the last time they met. For Miami, 13 of their last 14 games have seen over 2.5 goals with just one going under since May 24. They have scored over 2.5 goals in three of Cincinnati’s last five games. Bet on the over once again here, worth -172.
Live betting is also an option in this game. This is a clash between arguably the two best teams in the league. They have been tight in first and second for most of the season and Cincy already has a victory over Miami despite sitting below them in the Eastern Conference. It is not out of the question. It would be worth checking the in-play markets on a draw or Cincinnati win if they look likely to take something from the game.
You can bet on any of our selections at a reduced risk when you sign up with our online sportsbook using our welcome bonus. We will match your first deposit up to $500 and you can use your bonus funds on any of our markets!
Inter Miami Team News
Lionel Messi has not returned to training since injuring his ankle in the Copa America final in July. One of the best soccer players of all time won’t return until mid-September. Nicolás Freire and Facundo Farias are out for the rest of the season with ACL injuries. Head coach Gerardo Martino will welcome back Jordi Alba and Tomas Aviles to the starting 11 after sitting out of the last against Columbus Crew.
- Predicted lineup: Callender, Weigandt, Aviles, Busquets, Alba, Redondo, Bright, Gomez, Rojas, Suarez, and Gressel.
FC Cincinnati Team News
Matt Miazga requires surgery on his ACL and will not return this season. Nick Hagglund broke his fibula in June and is unlikely to play again in 2024. Yamil Asad suffered an MCL injury during the Leagues Cup and coach Pat Noonan has said there is no timeline for his recovery.
- Predicted lineup: Celentano, Murphy, Robinson, Awaziem, Kubo, Bucha, Nwobodo, Yedlin, Acosta, Orellano, and Baird.
