New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami: Line-ups, stats and preview
Miami have shipped 17 goals in their last seven away games
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New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami match preview
Inter Miami still have top spot in the MLS in their hands as the Herons travel to the eighth-placed New York Red Bulls on Saturday following a 3-0 defeat at second-placed Cincinnati.
Miami’s first defeat in seven league games ended their five-match winning run and captain Lionel Messi’s MLS-record stretch of multiple goals in five straight games, with two goals inside 21 second-half minutes by in-form Evander exposing familiar frailties for the team with the worst defensive record in the top eight.
“It’s worrisome when one of your rivals beats you – especially the way they beat us,” rued Miami manager Javier Mascherano, whose team are eight points behind leaders Philadelphia with three games in hand.
“We were outplayed from the beginning. One of the reasons could be because we’ve been dealing with a big workload, playing several matches in a short amount of time.
“Regardless, we just didn’t play the type of match we wanted. We weren’t fresh and we weren’t lucid out there. But you have to turn the page and look at Saturday and rest and recuperate.”
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New York scored all of their goals inside 33 minutes in a 5-3 home win over 11th-placed New England on Wednesday, recovering from 2-0 behind after 55 minutes to end a five-game winless run.
Sandro Schwarz’s side have won eight and lost one of their 11 home league fixtures this season and are a point off the automatic play-off spots and five behind Miami.
Former Hertha Berlin manager Schwarz said he wants his players to have more of a “clear focus” after conceding six first-half goals in their last four games, including four inside the first 31 minutes.
“Every time – for 95, 97 minutes – that’s important for our energy,” he emphasized. “This is now what we have to show on Saturday for 100 minutes.
“The guys [must] always think and believe that we are ready to come back. We can talk a lot but the most important thing is that the guys felt it, especially in the second half [on Wednesday]. We have to keep going.”
New York Red Bulls v Miami team news
Red Bulls right-winger Cameron Harper is absent with a knee injury and has missed their last five matches.
Former Miami, Celtic, Sunderland and St Mirren winger Lewis Morgan is out with a thigh injury, having missed much of the season with a knee issue and only started the first game of the campaign.
USA youth winger Serge Ngoma is also missing with a thigh injury, while left-winger or left-back Raheem Edwards and defender Noah Eile will be banned if they are booked.
Sweden midfielder Emil Forsberg and former Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting each scored twice against New England.
Only four players have bettered Choupo-Moting’s total of 13 MLS goals in 2025. Midfielder Ronald Donkor provided his first assist since June 2023 in the win and went on to set up another two of New York’s goals.
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Defender Gonzalo Lujan and midfielder Yannick Bright returned from hamstring injuries with substitute appearances for Miami against Cincinnati, but midfielder David Ruiz remained out with the same problem, as did versatile Greece youth international Noah Allen, Ecuador prospect Allen Obando and Racing Club de Avellaneda loanee Baltasar Rodriguez.
Goalkeeper Drake Callendar is back in training after a hernia issue but is not likely to be ready in the likelihood that stand-in Oscar Ustari is unavailable.
Ustari had to be replaced by Rocco Rios Novo during the first half on Wednesday, and the loanee from Argentinian club Lanus is poised to start this time.
Defender Ian Fray is still suffering with an injury sustained during the Club World Cup but defensive midfielder Federico Redondo could return from a fever.
“I’m not the ideal person to ask why we keep dealing with so many muscle-related injuries,” said Mascherano. “We’ve clearly played a lot of games, especially in the past month-and-a-half, against high-level competition.
“We have to find a way to deal with that better and find a way to move forward.”
New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami expected line-ups
New York Red Bulls starting XI: Coronel; Valencia, Eile, Nealis, Duncan; Edelman, Donkor, Carmona, Forsberg, Sofo; Choupo-Moting
Inter Miami starting XI: Novo; Weigandt, Falcon, Aviles, Alba; Segovia, Busquets, Redondo, Allende; Messi, Suarez
How to watch New York Red Bulls v Miami: Live stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Saturday is at 19:30 ET, with live coverage available in the US through the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
A subscription costs $14.99 a month or $69 a season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per month or $59 a season.
New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami stats
- In 8 of the last 10 New York Red Bulls home matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 7 of the last 9 New York Red Bulls home matches in the Major League Soccer, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 8 of the last 10 New York Red Bulls matches in the Major League Soccer, the sum of goals was under 3.5
- In 4 of the last 5 New York Red Bulls home matches the sum of goals was over 3.5
- New York Red Bulls have won 4 of the last 5 home matches while scoring more than 1.5 goals
- In the last 11 Inter Miami CF matches in the Major League Soccer, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 15 of the last 16 Inter Miami CF matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- Inter Miami CF have won the last 5 matches in a row in the Major League Soccer and the sum of goals was over 2.5
- Inter Miami CF have won the last 5 matches in a row in the Major League Soccer while scoring more than 1.5 goals
- In 8 of the last 10 Inter Miami CF away matches in the Major League Soccer, the sum of goals was over 2.5
New York Red Bulls v Miami prediction
The Red Bulls will have the most home points in the MLS if they draw this game, making the three-time Supporters’ Shield winners seem a little overlooked against opponents who are favorites but have only won five of their 10 away.
The hosts are unbeaten in six at the Red Bull Arena and have won five times along the way, and Mascherano’s remarks about the effect of the schedule on his players could provide further concern for Miami fans watching their team play for the fifth time in under two weeks.
That said, these clubs have a mixed record against each other. Miami have won three of the last four editions but lost three of the last four when they have been the away side.
There have also been 22 goals in Red Bull New York’s last six home games, so we’ll back a 3-3 draw.