Busquets insists Miami are not too reliant on Messi

Sergio Busquets has insisted Inter Miami are not too reliant on Lionel Messi, as they prepare to return to MLS action following their CONCACAF Champions Cup exit.

Miami were dumped out of the Champions Cup at the semi-final stage, losing 3-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps in Wednesday's second leg after going down 2-0 in the first leg.

Messi was largely well contained by Vancouver after playing a major role in Jordi Alba's ninth-minute opener, with Miami struggling to carve out clear chances.

But Busquets believes any team with Messi in it will look to go through him.

"There's no team with Messi on it that doesn't depend on him," Busquets told reporters in the mixed zone after Wednesday's game. 

"He's the most decisive player in the world, the best player, and it's obvious that we have to rely on him to a great extent – but not 100%.

"The more he's 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 host the New York Red Bulls in their next league game on Saturday, with Sandro Schwarz's visitors eighth in the Eastern Conference with 15 points, three places and three points behind Miami.

New York midfielder Peter Stroud believes they must look to attack the Herons, saying: "You can't sit there in awe, because they will hurt you.

"I think that's the most important thing. Now I think we realise that if you do that, you're only going to get punished, in a sense."

Schwarz, meanwhile, feels they need to pick their moments to go at Javier Mascherano's side, saying: "We started our preparation for this game on Saturday, so before the second game against Vancouver.

"But it's clear, you could see it then, what they have done. They have a lot of quality especially with the ball, individual quality and this is what we have to defend.

"We have to be all together in our defensive behaviour, this is the main part. Then when we can create the space in offensive transition moments, we have to be brave." 

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Inter Miami – Lionel Messi

Messi has recorded a goal contribution in eight consecutive home league matches (10 goals, three assists). 

This is Messi's longest run of home league games with a goal contribution since a nine-match streak with Barcelona in 2020.

However, the Argentine has gone four matches without a goal overall and will hope to halt that run here.

New York Red Bulls – Emil Forsberg 

Swedish defender Noah Eile scored his first career MLS goal against CF Montreal last Saturday. Eile and Forsberg are the second pair of Swedish team-mates to score for a team in a single MLS season, after Rasmus Alm and Joakim Nilsson for St. Louis City last term.

Forsberg, with three goals and one assist this season, carries the greater threat to Miami's hopes.

MATCH PREDICTION – INTER MIAMI WIN

The Red Bulls' 1-0 win over Montreal last week was their fourth win of the season, but New York have not won consecutive regular-season games in nearly a year, since beating Charlotte FC and Orlando City in May-June 2024. 

None of the previous 10 meetings between Miami and the Red Bulls have ended level, meanwhile, with New York winning six times and losing the other four.

The Herons won the teams' most recent meeting 6-2, after scoring a total of eight goals in the first nine meetings between them.

Miami's MLS-record tying 19-match regular-season unbeaten run came to an end with a 4-3 loss to FC Dallas last Sunday. 

But that defeat was only Miami's third in their last 37 regular-season matches, and they are expected to bounce back in Fort Lauderdale.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 51.2%

New York Red Bulls – 24%

Draw – 24.8%