The MLS is preparing for it's first big clash between potential title contenders this weekend when Inter Miami travel to take on New York Red Bulls at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Inter Miami are currently the league leaders but will be without some key players, including Lionel Messi, due to the current international period while New York will be looking to close the gap early on.
We'll take a look at the fixture and break down the game between these two sides before providing you with our best free soccer betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash.
| MLS |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Red Bulls | +130 | +125 | +120 |
| Inter Miami | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Draw | +275 | +270 | +250 |
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New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami information
- Saturday March 23rd, 2024
- Red Bull Arena, New Jersey, New York
- 14:00 ET kick-off
- MLS Eastern Conference
MLS Season so far
New York started the season relatively poorly with a disappointing 0-0 draw on the road against Nashville SC, before a trip to take on Houston Dynamo ended in a 2-1 victory.
Ibrahim Aliyu gave the home side the lead early on but then two goals in a 13-minute period from Elias Manoel and Lewis Morgan helped the team overcome a slow start to claim all three points.
They followed that up with a home win in the next game against FC Dallas as new signing Emil Forsberg and Morgan bagged goals in another 2-1 win, with Jesus Ferreira's goal not enough to spark a comeback for the visitors.
Last time out New York Red Bulls were on the road once again and fell to a dominant 3-0 defeat to Columbus Crew after goals from Juan Hernandez, Jason Russell-Rowe and Aidan Morris.
After four games the team sit in sixth-place in the Eastern Division with four goals scored and five goals conceded.
Inter Miami on the other hand have been absolutely sensational so far this season and sit top of the MLS after five games with three wins and a draw, having scored 13 goals and conceded just five.
The opening game of the season saw them claim a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake thanks to goals from Robert Taylor and Diego Gomez, before a 1-1 draw with LA Galaxy in their next outing when Messi scored a 92nd minute equaliser following Dejan Joveljic's strike and a missed Riqui Puig penalty in the first half.
Their next clash saw a dominant 5-0 win over Orlando City SC as Messi scored twice and was joined on the scoresheet by Taylor and a brace from superstar striker Luis Suarez.
The first defeat of their campaign came in the next outing as they lost 3-2 CF Montreal despite late goals from Leonardo Campana and Jordi Alba, before they claimed a 3-1 win over DC United in their last outing where Suarez stepped up in Messi's absence.
New York Red Bulls vs Inter Miami preview
New York will feel that there is no better time for them to face off against Inter Miami, with Messi absent and Sandro Schwarz looking to bounce back with a big win against a title rival.
Defensively they have been fairly strong this season barring the collapse against reigning champions Columbus and without Messi to unlock the defense they will be confident of finding a way to keep firm and cause problems with their pace in attack.
For Inter Miami however they will be keen for more of the same. Their possession play has been excellent this season and their ability to dictate the tempo and sustain attacks is what has got them top of the league - in addition to the fact they've played more games.
New York will need to get in their face and press high to cause turnovers and attack the spaces, while Miami will know if they create enough opportunities they have the quality to take those chances and come away with a win.
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MLS picks: Inter Miami to win @ +200
Gerardo Martino was brought in to help get the best out of Lionel Messi in the MLS, but he has reunited the band from the Barcelona glory days and he now has enough quality to deal with it when the legendary Argentina forward is unavailable.
Messi will be with his national team for the next game, but they have already shown they are capable of winning without him after he missed the win over DC United with a hamstring injury.
Former Liverpool and Uruguay superstar Suarez has finally got match rhythm and looks dangerous, while Jordi Alba is still one of the best full-backs around with his incredible energy and Sergio Busquets is still impossible to take the ball off in midfield.
Surrounded by the legs and energy of players like Campana and Redondo they should still have enough to beat a Red Bulls side struggling to score goals and at +200 there is terrific value in it too.
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