The spectacle Gianni Infantino promised to kick off the tournament didn’t quite come to pass, and it took a little while for Inter Miami to get their campaign up and running against Al Ahly.
Lionel Messi‘s men were nowhere for 45 minutes, and it looked like those keen to get a glimpse of the great Argentine would be left relatively disappointed. In the end, there was no Messi magic in Miami, but their second-half improvement stands the Herons in good stead for tougher Group A fixtures against Porto and Palmeiras.
The Portuguese side, who were also fortunate to draw their opening game, are up next for Miami, and a positive result is likely required to keep them in contention.
Here’s how Inter Miami, making their first competitive appearance against European opposition, could line up for their second game of the Club World Cup on Thursday.
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Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Porto (4-4-2)
GK: Óscar Ustari—Ustari is only playing because Drake Callender has a hernia. Miami’s backup goalkeeper was the star of their stalemate with Al Ahly, and he’s set to play throughout this tournament with Callender unlikely to return.
RB: Marcelo Weigandt—There’s expected to be a reshuffle in Mascherano’s defence, with Argentine Weigandt a candidate to benefit from the manager‘s projected changes.
CB: Maximiliano Falcón—Thursday’s duel with Porto is bound to be the toughest test of Falcón’s career, as he’ll see plenty of Samu Aghehowa in Miami.
CB: David Martínez—21-year-old Tomás Avilés struggled against Al Ahly and was eventually hooked, so it seems unlikely for him to retain his place. The on-loan Martínez should come in to partner Falcón.
LB: Noah Allen—The promising Allen is poised to fill Jordi Alba’s boots again at left back, with the former Spanish international still nursing a hamstring injury.
RM: Fafà Picault—The Haitian international has been in and out of the side this season, but he’s been pretty impressive when called upon. The winger was first off the bench last time out, and he could return to the Miami XI here.
CM: Federico Redondo—The highly regarded Redondo will be aiming to turn a few heads at the tournament, but failed to get a hold of proceedings in the opening game. This is a big opportunity for him against strong European opposition.
CM: Sergio Busquets—No Inter Miami player has notched more MLS minutes so far this year than Busquets, and he got through 90 minutes on Saturday. He can still hang physically.
LM: Telasco Segovia—The 22-year-old hasn’t quite been a mainstay this season, but his productive MLS form means Segovia is likely to play a key role for Miami at this tournament. He’s one who could step up if their superstars are tamed.
ST: Lionel Messi—Messi came to the fore late on against Al Ahly, but the Miami captain wasn’t quite able to steal three points for the Herons on Matchday 1. This will be just the second time he’s faced Porto in his career.
ST: Luis Suárez—Mascherano’s attack is built around the two greats in attack, and Suárez had started the MLS season in fine form before his mute display against Al Ahly.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami CF Predicted Lineup vs. Porto: Messi, Herons to Make History in Club World Cup.
