Sergio Busquets has insisted that Inter Miami is not too dependent on Lionel Messi, because they are preparing to return to MLS campaign after their Concacaf Champions Cup -Exit.
Miami was dumped from the Champions Cup in the semi-final phase and lost 3-1 to the second stage of Vancouver WhiteCaps after he had fallen 2-0 in the first stage.
Messi was largely well recorded by Vancouver after playing an important role in Jordi Alba's ninth minute Opener, with Miami struggling to eliminate clear opportunities.
But Busquets believes that every team with Messi will look in it to go through him.
“There is no team with Messi on it that does not depend on him,” Busquets told reporters in the mixed zone after Wednesday's game.
“He is the most decisive player in the world, the best player, and it is clear that we have to trust him to a large extent – but not 100%.
“The more he is involved in the game, the more we look for him and the more he can help us, then that will be a good sign.”
Miami organizes the New York Red Bulls on Saturday in their next league match, with the visitors to Sandro Schwarz Eighth in the Eastern Conference with 15 points, three places and three points behind Miami.
New York -midfielder Peter Stroud believes that they should look to attack the herons and say: “You can't be full there because they will hurt you.
“I think that's the most important thing. Now I think we realize that if you do that, you will only be punished in a certain sense.”
In the meantime, Schwarz believes that they should choose their moments to go on the Javier Mascherano side and said: “We started our preparation for this game on Saturday, so before the second game against Vancouver.
“But it is clear, you could see what they did then. They have a lot of quality, especially with the ball, individual quality and this is what we have to defend.
“We all have to be together in our defensive behavior, this is the majority. If we can create the space in offensive transition moments, we must be brave.”
Players to watch
Inter Miami – Lionel Messi
Messi has included a target contribution in eight consecutive home competitions (10 goals, three assists).
This is Messi's longest series of home competition matches with a goal contribution since a line of nine games with Barcelona in 2020.
However, the Argentinian went four games without a goal in general and hope to stop that run here.
New York Red Bulls – Emil Forsberg
Swedish defender Noah Eile scored his first MLS objective against CF Montreal last Saturday. Eile and Forsberg are the second pair of Swedish teammates who score for a team in one MLS season, after Rasmus Alm and Joakim Nilsson for St. Louis City in the past term.
Forsberg, with three goals and one assistant this season, drives the greater threat to the hope of Miami.
Match Prediction – Inter Miami Win
The 1-0 victory of the Red Bulls at Montreal last week was their fourth victory of the season, but New York did not win any consecutive games in almost a year, since he defeated Charlotte FC and Orlando City in May-June 2024.
All grit pic.twitter.com/qdlgxlpugn
– New York Red Bulls (@Newyorkredbulls) May 1, 2025
None of the previous 10 meetings between Miami and the Red Bulls has since ended, while New York won six times and lost the other four.
De Herons won the most recent meeting of the teams 6-2, after scoring a total of eight goals in the first nine meetings between them.
Miami's MLS record that the undefeated run of the 19-Match Fixed season, ended last Sunday with a loss of 4-3 for FC Dallas.
But that defeat was only Miami's third in their last 37 regular season races, and they are expected to bounce back in Fort Lauderdale.
Opta wins probability
Inter Miami – 51.2%
New York Red Bulls – 24%
Drawing – 24.8%