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LAFC vs Inter Miami live score, updates, highlights as Lionel Messi starts in west coast MLS trip

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Lionel Messi takes his first cross-country road trip since joining Inter Miami as the MLS side travels west for a regular season meeting with defending league champions LAFC on Sunday.

Messi, set to depart the club after this game for international duty alongside a whopping eight of his teammates, will know every point is precious from here on out. The club sits 10 points adrift of a playoff spot with 10 matches to go, needing to leap multiple teams if they are to secure a postseason berth.

The task is daunting on the whole, but is made even more difficult by the knowledge that the international break will seriously deplete the roster for a number of games. With that in mind, collecting points on the road at the defending champions would be a significant accomplishment.

LAFC are second in the Western Conference, seven points back of leaders St. Louis City SC but holding a game in hand. They are looking to finish the regular season strong before the all-important playoffs begin.

The Sporting News is following the LAFC vs Inter Miami match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

LAFC vs Inter Miami live score

  Score (1H) Goal scorers
LAFC 0 –
Inter Miami 1 Farias (14′)

Starting lineups:

LAFC (4-3-3, right to left): 77. McCarthy (GK) — 30. Palencia, 33. Long, 14. Chiellini, 24. Hollingshead — 23. Acosta, 6. Sanchez, 19. Bogusz — 10. Vela, 9. M. Gonzalez, 99. Bouanga.

Inter Miami (3-5-2, right to left): 1. Callender (GK) — 6. Aviles, 27. Kryvtsov, 31. Miller — 2. Yedlin, 8. D. Gomez, 5. Busquets, 30. Cremaschi, 18. Alba — 10. Messi, 11. Farias.

LAFC vs Inter Miami live updates, highlights, commentary

LAFC vs Inter Miami: First Half

14th min: GOAL! INTER MIAMI! Facundo Farias opens the scoring for the visitors against the run of play!! A stunning through-ball from deep by Tomas Aviles sees Farias get a window from a tight angle, and he delivers! BMO Stadium is stunned!

13th min: Chance, Inter Miami! Finally Inter Miami get forward, and Jordi Alba finds a teammate right on the doorstep of goal. The shot comes on the redirect right in front of John McCarthy, but the LAFC goalkeeper makes the save!

11th min: Chance, LAFC! DRAKE CALLENDER MAKES AN UNBELIEVABLE SAVE! Denis Bouanga is again free on the counter-attack, and with an opening on goal from an acute angle, he rips a shot that Callender somehow closes down and then stretches a hand up to bat it away! A stunning reflex save with no time to react!

Inter Miami are under siege early here, but the points they’ve collected in recent matches have been in part thanks to opponents failing to capitalize on chances.

9th min: Chance, LAFC! Oh no, MLS leading goal scorer Denis Bouanga has completely botched a counter-attack, and Carlos Vela is incensed! Bouanga breaks through the middle, and it’s three LAFC attackers against two Inter Miami defenders. Vela is completely wide open down the right half, but Bouanga takes it himself instead of feeding is talisman in space. The shot takes a deflection off Kamal Miller and goes wide!

Vela is FURIOUS with Bouanga! And in all honesty, he’s got a point.

6th min: There’s been some comments from both the broadcast booth and social media noting that the playing surface at BMO Stadium looks below standards. It’s causing the ball to bobble and skid, and there are a significant number of divots already. Something to keep an eye on.

It’s been all LAFC so far, as Inter Miami have barely even had a touch on the ball, and certainly not in the attacking half.

4th min: Carlos Vela has an early rip from distance but blasts it miles over the crossbar. That won’t trouble Drake Calendar in the slightest.

2nd min: LAFC has been bright from the start, with LAFC No. 10 Mateusz Bogusz causing lots of problems for the Inter Miami back line. Drake Callender comes off his line to smother a vertical ball.

And then of course, moments later, Bogusz is booked just three minutes into the match for yanking back on the shoulders of Facundo Farias who was at pace when the foul occurred. It’s quite early for that!

Kickoff: We’re under way from BMO Stadium! The GOAT and his Leagues Cup winners against the defending MLS champions!

LAFC vs Inter Miami: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

5 mins to kick: Inter Miami got a friendly reception on their first few road trips, but since they’ve been subjected to some hostile environments. Tonight was no different, as BMO Stadium gave them a visitors’ welcome.

20 mins to kick: LAFC has been a dominant force since joining the league in 2018, and they’ve been especially overwhelming to play against at home. Not only do they win, but they win big, with more multi-goal victories at home since joining the league than any other club.

Can they be the first team to down Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in regulation?

35 mins to kick: For LAFC, the lineup sees some token rotation from head coach Steve Cherundolo, but no true surprises. Kellyn Acosta comes in for Timothy Tillman, while Giorgio Chilellini returns in defense, although the Italian surprisingly takes the place of regular Denil Maldonado and not Aaron Long.

45 mins to kick: Lineups are finally in. For Inter Miami, Lionel Messi does start in his final match before heading out for international duty. He starts alongside Facundo Farias up front, with both Josef Martinez and Leo Campana sat on the bench as Gerardo Martinez plays a three-CB system.

1 hour to kickoff: While we wait for lineups for this matchup, have a look at a different lineup — the list of celebrities set to attend tonight’s match at BMO Stadium. LeBron James will be in attendance, his second Inter Miami match after he was pitchside for Lionel Messi’s debut.

Other notable attendees include Leonardo DeCaprio, Dodgers duo Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw, and the Duke & Dutchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: Inter Miami has arrived at BMO Stadium. It will be interesting to see how head coach Tata Martino plays this from a personnel perspective, given that the international break is coming and this road trip requires significant travel. Could he rest Lionel Messi like he did against the New York Red Bulls?

1 hour 30 mins to kick: Lionel Messi fans waiting outside BMO Stadium hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite player have been instead subjected to the more eclectic side of the famous Los Angeles food scene. Jokes were made.

1 hour 45 mins to kick: LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini has faced Lionel Messi once before, in the Finalissima between Argentina and Italy back in 2022 which Messi won 3-0 at Wembley Stadium (Chiellini played in a friendly between Italy and Argentina in 2013 but Messi was injured for that match).

Chiellini’s been impressed by what Messi and Inter Miami have done since the Argentine joined the league.

2 hours to kickoff: Following this match, Lionel Messi and eight other teammates will depart Inter Miami for international duty. While Gerardo Martino hinted that MLS will review possibly altering next year’s schedule to avoid playing over international breaks, for now, Inter Miami must navigate both this window and the October one without a number of key players who were called up.

LAFC vs Inter Miami lineups & team news

Club talisman Carlos Vela has been rested a few times this season during road games, but here at home he starts alongside Golden Boot candidate Denis Bouanga up front. The same too for veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini, who was left out of the squad for the previous match against Charlotte FC on the road, but returns, although he replaces regular starter Denil Maldonado and not usual third-choice center-back Aaron Long.

In midfield, Kellyn Acosta has come off the bench the last two matches, but he is brought on to help shore up the middle of the pitch, with Timothy Tillman sacrificed and Mateusz Bogusz retained. 

LAFC starting lineup (4-3-3): McCarthy (GK) — Palencia, Long, Chiellini, Hollingshead — Acosta, Sanchez, Gogusz — Vela, M. Gonzalez, Bouanga.

LAFC subs (9): Crepeau (GK), Palacios, Murillo, Maldonado, Krastev, Tillman, Ordaz, Olivera, Biuk.

It was interesting to see what changes Tata Martino makes for this match, given the extenuating circumstances. It was conceivable that Lionel Messi would be rested from the start, given he will be heading out for international duty shortly, but he starts up front alongside Facundo Farias. The battle for the striker spot has seen Josef Martinez and Leonardo Campana both get time, but the two are sat on the bench for this match.

At center-back, Ukrainian international Serhiy Kryvtsov has missed the last two matches with a knock, but he returns in this match in a three-CB system alongside Kamal Miller and young Tomas Aviles. There were questions in midfield too, with Benja Cremaschi sat last time, but he returns alongside Diego Gomez as the two flank Sergio Busquets. David Ruiz and Victor Ulloa are the bench options, while injury returnees Jean Mota and Gregore remain on the fringes.

Inter Miami starting lineup (4-3-3): Callender (GK) — Miller, Kryvtsov, Aviles — Yedlin, Cremaschi, Busquets, D. Gomez, Alba — Messi, Farias.

Inter Miami subs (9): Dos Santos (GK), Sailor, Allen, Ulloa, Arroyo, R. Taylor, Stefanelli, Campana, Martinez.

How to watch LAFC vs Inter Miami

MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA

LAFC vs Inter Miami betting odds & lines

For the first time since Lionel Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami are underdogs in a match, and clear ones at that, with LAFC installed as even-money home favorites.

Despite Messi being held without a goal contribution for the first time since joining his new club, goals are expected for this game between two of the league’s most potent attacking sides.

  LAFC
win		 Draw Inter Miami
win		 Both teams
to score Y / N		 Over / Under
2.5 goals		 LAFC
-0.5		 MIA
+0.5
BetMGM
(USA)		 +100 +270 +225 -185 / +130 -175 / +120 -110 -135
Sports
Interaction
(Canada)		 +104 +260 +219 -200 / +126 -169 / +122 +102 -135
Unibet
(Australia)		 2.00 3.70 3.40 1.58 / 2.30 1.64 / 2.23 2.02 1.81





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