FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami will face a significant challenge in their upcoming playoff match against Atlanta United, as Sergio Busquets has been confirmed out of the game. This absence will leave Lionel Messi without one of his most reliable companions for this crucial win-or-go-home encounter.
Busquets sustained an injury to his midsection during the initial game of the best-of-three series and has since shown symptoms resembling pneumonia. After missing Game 2 last week, which resulted in a 2-1 loss to Atlanta, Inter Miami must now secure a victory in order to continue their season and advance to the next stage of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Inter Miami’s coach, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, expressed the importance of these remaining matches, noting, “At best, there are four finals left. Each of the remaining games has the characteristics of a final game and we, with the expectations we have, are ready to face it in the best way.”
The team is hopeful about playing four more games this season, starting with Saturday’s conclusion to Round 1, followed by a conference semifinal, a conference final, and potentially an MLS Cup final. If Inter Miami is successful in these matches, they would all take place at home. However, any loss in these knockout stages would bring the season to a premature end for the team, which historically secured the Supporters’ Shield and achieved the best regular-season record in MLS history.
On the other side, Atlanta has demonstrated resilience in elimination situations this season, having won four critical matches to maintain their playoff aspirations, including two at the end of the regular season against the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City, as well as a wild-card game against Montreal and last week’s victory over Inter Miami.
This match takes on added significance for Messi, who has not managed to score or provide an assist in the previous two encounters. In response to questions surrounding Messi’s performance, Atlanta’s interim coach, Rob Valentino, refrained from engaging with criticisms, stating, “Messi is fantastic. There is no slander on my end. He’s a fantastic player. Whether people say he’s produced, not produced, I don’t want to hear it because he’s fantastic.”
Atlanta stands out as the only MLS team to have defeated Inter Miami twice this season, both victories occurring while Messi was on the field. In contrast, the rest of the league has struggled against Inter Miami with a record of 0-12-5 when Messi plays. Nevertheless, Atlanta’s approach to containing Messi has yielded some success; he has scored once on 19 shots across four matchups this season, with eight being on target.
Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan acknowledged Messi’s impact, saying, “What he brings to a game, what he brings to a team, just him standing on the field it requires your attention. There’s very few times that Plan A works. It’s Plan B and Plan C and Plan D and you have to adjust very quickly.”