Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami face FC Porto on Thursday afternoon with both teams looking to potentially move atop Group A in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Miami and Porto were both held to 0-0 draws on Matchday as respective favorites, the Herons by Al Ahly of Egypt and Dragons by Brazil’s Palmeiras.
Inter Miami and FC Porto projected lineups
After brief speculation that Messi was carrying a knock into the second match, Miami manager Javier Mascherano confirmed in his pre-match press conference that that wasn’t the case.
Meanwhile, left back Jordi Alba is expected to return to Mascherano’s XI after a minor knock had forced him to miss a couple weeks of match action. But Mascherano will have to figure out whether he trusts two young players, defender Tomas Aviles and midfielder Federico Redondo, as part of a quartet of players carrying yellow cards into Matchday 2.
Meanwhile, Porto came through their match without any apparent new injuries, though Martim Fernandes and Nehuen Perez are carrying yellows. Argentine manager Martin Anselmi has played primarily a 3-4-3 since taking the helm of the club in January.
Inter Miami projected lineup (4-4-2, right to left)
Oscar Ustari (GK) – Marcelo Weigandt, Ian Fray, Maxi Falcon, Jordi Alba – Fafa Picault, Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Benjamin Cremaschi – Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez
FC Porto Projected lineup (3-4-3, right to left)
Claudio Ramos (GK) – Martim Fernandes, Ze Pedro Figueiredo – Joao Mario Lopes, Alan Verela, Gabriel Veiga, Moura – Fabio Vieira, Samu Omorodion, Rodrigo Mora.
