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Get ready for another midseason MLS matchup between two Eastern Conference teams as they battle it out for points in this hectic 2024/2025 MLS season. It’s NY Red Bulls vs Inter Miami tonight, kicking off at 7:30 PM ET, so be sure to review my picks for the big game and decide whether they’re something you want to back or ignore!
The Red Bulls have been lackluster this season and currently stand in 8th place with a 9-6-8 record and 33 points. Since June 14, the team struggled against Austin FC in a 2-1 defeat before kicking off three ties in a row from June 25 to July 5, against Toronto, Minnesota and San Jose. Their next game on July 12 continued their winless run as they fell 2-0 to 1st place Philadelphia Union. Just recently, however, the NY Red Bulls pulled out a 5-3 win on Jul 16, scoring 5 unanswered goals to defeat the New England Revolution. Now, they take on a hungry Inter Miami side at the home stadium of Red Bull Arena tonight.
Striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored 2 goals in the previous game against the Revolution and leads his team in goal-scoring with 13 goals, along with 2 assists so far. Midfielder teammate Emil Forsberg has scored 9 goals and 6 assists so far this season, and these two will be the ones to watch out for from the New York side.
Inter Miami rests at 5th place in the standings with 38 points and an 11-5-4 record. Since returning from the Club World Cup, Miami has made a solid return, going 3-0-0. However, Lionel Messi’s squad was shut out in a 3-0 defeat against 2nd-place FC Cincinnati. Miami still has 3 games in hand, though, so a win tonight will be vital for the side to continue their hopes of placing as a top seed for the MLS playoffs.
Lionel Messi continues to find the back of the net, as he has the 2nd-most goals in the MLS, recording 16 goals and 7 assists in 17 games. Considering he failed to extend his record of scoring multiple goals in a game, I predict he’ll be hitting the back of the net at least 1+ times tonight. With the help of his teammates Tadeo Allende (7 goals and 1 assist), Telasco Segovia (5 goals and 5 assists), and Luis Suarez (5 goals and 8 assists), Miami should be able to find a breakthrough in the Red Bulls’ vulnerable defense.
The Red Bulls take home field advantage tonight, and are riding high after scoring 5 goals to pull out a nifty comeback against New England. That said, Inter Miami has a lot to prove tonight and will want to show consistency throughout the rest of the MLS season.
This one’s likely to be close, but with enough rest for the team before heading into tonight’s game, I’m giving Inter Miami the edge while predicting Messi to continue the pursuit of the MLS Golden Boot with another 1+ goals to help Miami achieve victory tonight.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.