Inter Miami vs Barcelona: Preview and Prediction
Barcelona’s United States Tour kicks off at DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, as they meet David Beckham’s Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami. The Catalans will continue their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a pre-season friendly against MLS outfit Inter Miami on Wednesday morning.
The Catalan outfit played out a 1-1 draw with Olot in their pre-season opener on July 13, while Inter Miami recorded a 3-2 victory over Charlotte FC in the MLS on Saturday night.
The Blaugrana’s 2022 US Tour will feature four matches, including high-profile friendlies against Real Madrid and Juventus. Barcelona is no stranger to playing in Miami, as the last time they visited North America in 2019, they faced Napoli in southern Florida.
Three years on, the Spanish heavyweights will return to Miami to lock horns with one of the newest MLS franchises, Inter.
Barca’s US Tour curtain-raiser, scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 5:30 am IST, will serve to get them into shape for a mouth-watering Las Vegas showpiece against Madrid four days later.
Barcelona’s redemption story has begun with the acquisitions of Robert Lewandowski, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Franck Kessie, as Xavi hopes to shape up a new era at Camp Nou. After enduring their first trophyless season in years, the Catalans look to launch a new triumphant cycle starting this summer.
Xavi’s side kickstarted the off-season campaign with an enthralling 3-2 victory over A-League All Stars at Accor Stadium, Sydney, and will be aiming to build on that. They then followed that up with a 1-1 draw over Spanish lower-league outfit Olot on July 13 in their second warm-up fixture of the summer before taking a trip over the Atlantic.
The 2022 MLS season is well underway, and unlike the last two years, Inter is a legitimate candidate to qualify for their first-ever MLS Cup play-offs.
Stuck three points adrift of the Eastern Conference playoff zone, Phil Neville’s lads have realistic chances of leapfrogging the seventh-placed New England Revolution into the final qualification spot. Gonzalo Higuain and his teammates have won three of their last five league matches (D1, L1) and they should be brimming with confidence ahead of the upcoming clash against Barcelona.
Current Form
Inter Miami registered a brilliant comeback victory over Charlotte on Saturday
Inter Miami will enter this match off the back of a brilliant comeback victory over Charlotte on Saturday evening, with Phil Neville’s side coming from two goals behind to win 3-2 – Emerson Rodriguez netting the game’s decisive fifth goal in the 93rd minute of the contest.
The result moved the Herons into the ninth position in the Eastern Conference, boasting 25 points from their opening 20 matches of the campaign. Inter Miami will be back in MLS action against New York City on July 23 but will first take on a European giant in a glamour friendly, with Barcelona making the trip to the DRV PNK Stadium.
Neville’s side has the likes of DeAndre Yedlin, Kieran Gibbs and Gonzalo Higuain in their squad, with the latter coming off the bench to find the back of the net against Charlotte last time out. The Miami outfit, which was only founded in 2018, is part-owned by David Beckham, and the club continue to be linked with the world’s biggest players, including the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Barcelona, meanwhile, opened their preparations for the new campaign with a 1-1 draw against Olot on July 13, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the scoresheet for the Catalan giants. Xavi’s side has now made the trip to the United States, where they will take on Inter Miami, Real Madrid, Juventus and New York Red Bulls as part of their pre-season tour.
Barcelona will then face Pumas in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 7 before opening their 2022-23 La Liga campaign at home to Rayo Vallecano on August 13.
Despite their financial problems, the Catalan side has made some huge moves in the transfer market this summer, bringing in Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski from Leeds United and Bayern Munich respectively, while Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen have arrived on free transfers.
The club are under pressure to make a big sale this summer in order to balance the books, with Frenkie de Jong still being strongly linked with a switch to Manchester United, but it is believed that the Netherlands international is still refusing to leave Camp Nou.
Head to Head Record
This will be the first time that the two sides have been pitted against each other in any competition. Although the fixture has been termed friendly, both these sides boast stars who would like to give their all and thus this would make this fixture a spectacle for the fans.
Team News
Inter Miami will again definitely be without the services of Robbie Robinson and Ian Fray through injury, while Ariel Lassiter and Brek Shea are doubts for the home side. Damion Lowe was also substituted at the interval of the clash with Charlotte FC last time out, which could see former Arsenal defender Gibbs feature at the back.
Higuain will be hoping to have the chance to feature against Barcelona, but the experienced striker is expected to start on the bench, with Leonardo Campana set to lead the line once again.
Robert Lewandowski is expected to make his Barca debut against Inter Miami
As for Barcelona, Lewandowski is with his new teammates in Miami, so there is a chance that the experienced striker could make his debut for the Catalan side in this match. Christensen and Raphinha could also make their debuts, while Kessie, who played 45 minutes against Olot last time out, will be hoping to feature for the second time for his new club.
Highly-rated teenager Pablo Torre has also made the move to Barcelona this summer, and the Spaniard will be eyeing another appearance on Wednesday morning. Xavi is expected to select a strong side for the first whistle, with Gavi, Pedri and Ferran Torres potentially included, while Ousmane Dembele could also feature, having rejoined the club last week. A decision will also have to be made on De Jong’s involvement amid the recent speculation.
Predicted Starting XIs
Inter Miami (4-2-3-1): Drake Callender; DeAndre Yedlin, Kieran Gibbs, Ryan Sailor, Christopher McVey; Gregore, Jean Mota; Robert Taylor, Alejandro Pozuelo, Indiana Vassilev; Leonardo Campana
FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergino Dest, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba; Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ousmane Dembele
Prediction
Inter Miami will certainly be competitive opposition for Barcelona considering that they are deep into their league season. Barcelona will have superior quality all over the pitch, though, so we are expecting the Catalan side to emerge victorious 2-1 on Wednesday morning.
