Is Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami against Philadelphia Union tomorrow?
Lionel Messi is expected to start when Inter Miami travel to face Philadelphia Union in the semifinals of the Leagues Cup on Tuesday (August 15) at Subaru Park. The Florida-based side will want to carry the positive momentum to book a place in the final.
Inter Miami come into the game on the back of a 4-0 victory over Charlotte FC in the quarterfinals. Messi had yet another influential performance, scoring the fourth goal of the game.
Lionel Messi has been in excellent form ever since he joined the David Beckham-owned side earlier this summer. The seven-time Ballon d'Or will therefore be the first name on the team sheet when they face Philadelphia Union.
Messi will most likely be partnered alongside Robert Taylor and Josef Martinez in a three-man attack as it has been for the past couple of games. The trio have already started to develop a great understanding amongst themselves. Both Martinez and Taylor also found the back of the net in Inter Miami's 4-0 victory over Charlotte FC in the previous round.
Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are also expected to feature in the semifinals on Tuesday night. The duo play in their natural positions of defensive midfield and left back respectively.
Inter Miami have been excellent in the knockout stages of the 2023 Leagues Cup. The Herons have scored 11 goals in their previous three games in the knockout stages. This includes scoring four goals against FC Dallas and Charlotte FC.
Philadelphia Union, on the other hand, required two penalty shootouts to advance to the semifinals. They won against DC United and New York Red Bulls following a penalty shootout before beating Mexican side Queretaro 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
Lionel Messi has scored in every match he has played for Inter Miami in the 2023 Leagues Cup
The 2023 Leagues Cup is the first and so far the only tournament Lionel Messi has featured in for Inter Miami since his free transfer. The former Barcelona superstar has lit up the tournament and has scored in each of the games his team has played in.
Messi has already scored eight goals and provided one assist from five games in the Leagues Cup. This includes three consecutive braces against Atlanta United, Orlando City and FC Dallas. He netted a free kick on his debut against Cruz Azul and most recently scored a goal against Charlotte FC.
It is safe to assume that Lionel Messi has settled in a lot quicker compared to his initial games for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) back in 2021.