With the help of Lionel Messi’s eight goals, Inter Miami, who had previously finished last in the MLS Eastern Conference, is now poised to face the Philadelphia Union in the Leagues Cup final.
The Union are by far Messi’s toughest opponent since moving to the United States, thus this game will be a true test of Inter Miami’s new strength. Inter Miami has so far surpassed their pre-Messi performance in terms of performance, having defeated Cruz Azul, Atlanta United, Orlando City, FC Dallas, and Charlotte FC, but they have not yet claimed a top-tier victory.
Leagues Cup Live Stream and TV Coverage
Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami live stream, TV channel: Follow along as Lionel Messi and Inter Miami battle it out against the Philadelphia Union in the Leagues Cup.
At 7 p.m. local time in Philadelphia, the game from Subaru Park will begin in front of what is anticipated to be yet another sold-out crowd to see Lionel Messi in action.
Through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, the game will be accessible to everyone in the world.
When does Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union begin?
At 7 o’clock local time in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, August 15, this Leagues Cup semifinal from Subaru Park will get under way.
Here is how that time is converted in some of the key areas:
USA Date Kickoff Time
Tuesday, August 15 at 7 p.m.
Canada
Tuesday, August 15 at 7 p.m.
UK
Wed., Aug. 16, 12 a.m. BST
Australia Wednesday, August 16, 9:00 a.m. AEST
India Wednesday, August 16, 4:30 IST
Hong Kong Wednesday, August 16 at 7 a.m. HKT
Malaysia Wednesday, August 16, 7 a.m. MYT Singapore Wednesday, August 16, 7 a.m. SGT
Wednesday, August 16, 11 a.m. NZST
line-ups for Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami, and team news
Even though Lionel Messi poses a threat, Jim Curtin has remained committed to his three-CB formation for this game. He was chosen for his team despite injuries.
Due to a knee sprain, Daniel Gazdag was forced to miss the quarterfinal victory over Queretaro; however, Curtin had intimated that Gazdag would be available, and he does start. The condition of former Inter Miami attacker Julian Carranza, who “felt something” in his hamstring and is only able to sit on the bench, is more worrying. Chris Donovan, whose late winner in the quarterfinals brought Philadelphia here today, has taken his position.
Unexpectedly, Leon Flach takes the role of Jack McGlynn in the Philadelphia midfield. Alejandro Bedoya, the 36-year-old skipper who has been out since May with a quad injury, is sitting on the bench after returning to training.
confirmed starting lineup (3-5-2) for Philadelphia Union:
Blake (GK)—Glesnes—Elliott—Lowe—Wagner—Bueno—J. Martinez—Flach—Wagner—Donovan—Gazdag.
Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami’s new superstar trinity, have all been completely included and will only be sitting going forward for load management reasons.
However, manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has been focusing on the striker position for ongoing evaluation. Although Messi’s goal last time out was assisted by Leonardo Campana in the 86th minute, Tata has continued to use Josef Martinez for the time being despite his lackluster performance.
Only Gregore, Jean Mota, Corentin Jean, Franco Negri, and Ian Fray are out due to injury for Inter Miami. Gregore might make a quick recovery from his foot injury, but first he needs to be fully match-ready.
Odds and lines for the Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami game
As they have been since Lionel Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami is the clear favorite in this match, but the lead is smaller than it has been thus far.
As a seasoned MLS force at home, the Philadelphia Union has a good chance of handing Messi and company their first loss since the Argentine star joined the team. Goals are anticipated, pushing the total to 3.5 due to Messi’s influence on the team; Inter Miami has scored 17 goals in Messi’s five games since signing; goals are expected.
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90 minutes: Union wins
Draw in 90 minutes
90 minutes: Miami wins
Y/N Over/Under 3.5 goals scored by both teams
Advance PHI, Advance MIA
Betting site BetMGM (USA) +185 +270 +115 -210 / +145 +125 / -175 +105 -150
Sports Interaction (Canada) 1 818 251 109 + 123 / -169 —
— — — Dafabet (India) 2.95 3.70 2.19 1.48 / 2.60