Inter Miami vs Orlando City Odds: Inter Counting on Their Winning Momentum

• Inter Miami topped Group J to qualify for the knock-out stage. They won both their fixtures to accumulate six points and finished ahead of Cruz Azul in the group
• Orlando City topped Group I to qualify for the knock-out stage. They won one game on penalties and the other in regular time to qualify for knockouts
• The teams faced off once earlier this year in the MLS. Orlando City beat Inter Miami 3-1 in that fixture

Inter Miami vs Orlando City Odds

Odds taken from bet365.

Inter Miami vs Orlando City Picks

• Pick: Inter Miami to win.

Inter Miami vs Orlando City Prediction

Inter Miami are favorites to win the Leagues Cup Round of 32 contest against Orlando City. The club has been injected with fresh air since the arrival of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and will look to add a third win on the trot. 

Their Leagues Cup campaign of Inter Miami started with a 2-1 win over former Leagues Cup champions Cruz Azul. The Gerardo Martino-managed side thrashed Atlanta United 4-0 in the second group-stage match..

Orlando City, on the other hand, started their campaign with a 5-4 win on penalties over Houston Dynamo. The Oscar Pareja-managed side late edged past Santos Laguna 3-2 in the away fixture to finish top in their group. 

Pareja, however, will have his task cut out against a rejuvenated Inter Miami unit in the Round of 32 clash. If the scores are level after regular time, penalties will follow to decide the winner. The winners of this match will face either FC Dallas or Mazatlan FC in the next round. 

Previous Meetings

Inter Miami and Orlando City have shared a rich vein of rivalry, thanks to the MLS and Leagues Cup fixtures. The clubs have faced off 11 times since their first meeting in 2020. The Lions hold the upper hand in the head-to-head contest with six wins to their name, while Inter Miami have won thrice, and two fixtures ended in a draw. 

Much has changed since their last meeting in May, when hosts Inter Miami lost 1-3 to Orlando City. In their previous meeting, the then-Inter Miami coach Phil Neville opted for a 3-5-2 formation, while Pareja banked on his more favored 4-2-3-1 combination. Ultimately, Pareja’s tactics worked well and got his side all three points.

Inter Miami may have won just three out of 11 matches against Orlando City but that will not rule them out of contention for reaching the next knockout round. Their last win over Orlando City came in October. A Gonzalo Higuiain-inspired Inter Miami nabbed a stellar 4-1 win against the Lions.

That victory ended Inter Miami’s five-match winless streak against Orlando City. In a different competition, with the likes of Messi and Sergio Busquets, the morale of Inter Miami will be high and the side will settle for nothing less than a win. Since Messi’s arrival, the odds of Inter Miami going all the way have increased. 

Inter Miami Will Certainly Rely on Messi Again

The Argentine World Cup winner has changed the fortunes of Inter Miami from the word go. The club entered the Leagues Cup after languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference points table. However, they look like a rejuvenated unit since the arrival of Messi. So much so that it looks like Inter Miami are one of the favorites to win this edition of the Leagues Cup. 

Messi was involved in goals in his first two appearances. In his debut for Inter Miami, he started from the bench and scored a spectacular goal from a free-kick in second-half stoppage time to seal the win over Cruz Azul. Meanwhile, he netted twice in the fixture against Atlanta United and will be eager to get it right in front of the home fans again.

Busquets-Alba to Make Their Presence Felt 

Alongside Messi, Inter Miami has signed his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Busquets will steady the Inter Miami line-up with his presence in the defensive midfield spot, while Alba will likely make his presence felt with his pace down the flanks.

The Inter Miami side will also feature the new U-22 initiative signings Facundo Faris and Diego Gomez in the midfield to boost the resurgence of the club. 

Gerardo Martino Could Rely on the 4-3-3 Formation 

The Inter Miami playing style has changed multiple times in the ongoing season. Under Neville, the club relied on their fluid 4-2-3-1 formation from the mid-way in 2022. The Englishman also deployed the 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 formation, but it was far from being successful. 

However, under the new coach Martino, the new-look side will feature in a more fluid 4-3-3 formation that was visible in their last two outings. This means that Messi will start as a right-wing forward, with Martinez featuring as a center-forward and Robert Taylor playing as a left-wing forward.

Orlando City Set to Face Stern Test 

Containing the attacking prowess of Messi is an almost-impossible challenge for any defense. However, the Orlando City defense is set to give it their all when they come up against the World Cup-winning Argentine.

The match will be played in Inter Miami’s backyard, but that will be of little to no concern for Orlando City as they possess the best away record in their division in the MLS. The club has lost just three out of 11 away games this season in the domestic league.

After winning the US Open Cup last year, the primary target of Orlando City will be to add another piece of silverware to the cabinet this year. While the MLS title is a long shot, the Leagues Cup would be an ideal addition to the club’s trophy room.. 

Gallese and Torres Could Make the Biggest Impact

In this testing situation, Orlando City will heavily rely on the reflexes of their goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who will be duly tested against Inter Miami. The Lions will also expect their talismanic winger Facundo Torres to bring his goal-scoring boots into the fixture. 

Torres has been the most valuable player for Orlando City in the ongoing season. He has assisted four times while netting seven goals in 20 appearances for the club. Duncan McGuire will be another key man on the pitch after scoring eight times in 19 appearances for the club. 

Pareja Expected to Rely on His Traditional Formation

Orlando City FC will bank on their traditional 4-2-3-1 formation in the do-or-die contest. This formation has witnessed the side sit back and soak up pressure consistently before hitting back on the counter. 

One of the most interesting changes that Pareja has brought to the setup is dropping their No.10 Mauricio Pereyra further into the midfield to stabilize the Orlando City line-up. It also allows Torres to crack open the game and create chances down the wing.

How to Watch Inter Miami vs Orlando City

• Teams: Inter Miami vs Orlando City 
• Location: DRV PNK Stadium. 
• Time: Wednesday, August 2 at 08:00 pm ET
• How to Watch: Apple TV, Televisa, Univision, FOX Sports, TSN, and RDS.