Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will look for a fifth consecutive away victory on Wednesday night when they visit an FC Cincinnati side that has been settling too often for draws.
After a stunning 4-3 home loss to Orlando on May 2, in which Miami (6-2-4, 22 points) gave back a three-goal lead, the Herons returned to form in a 4-2 win at Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon.
And after an exceptionally difficult first spring in MLS for Sergio Reguilon, in which knee and hamstring issues have limited the Spaniard to four appearances across all competitions, the former Tottenham and Atletico Madrid fullback scored his first goal in a 23-minute shift off the bench in Toronto, from Messi’s fourth assist of the season.
Getting more regular contributions from the 29-year-old Reguilon should help Miami become a more-consistent side on both ends of the pitch. His predecessor at left back Jordi Alba was one of Messi’s most-trusted confidants during the 2023-25 seasons.
And now Reguilon believes he’s in a position to do that.
“I’m in a serious and focused moment, I just want to spend as much time as possible on the pitch,” he said in Spanish. “I was a little frustrated with this start. But now I think I can see the light. I feel good again, my body feels good and recovered. So now it’s about finding the consistency that I’ve been wanting so badly. ”
Cincinnati (4-4-4, 16 points) is unbeaten — with four draws — in its last six matches, most recently giving back a two-goal halftime lead in a 2-2 draw at Charlotte FC on Saturday. Even so, there were moments of promise that manager Pat Noonan believes can translate to success on Wednesday night.
“There was good stretches of playing on one- and two-touch, moving left to right, moving behind pressure just in a connected way, where it allowed us to control some transition moments and be really connected with our play,” Noonan said.
Kevin Denkey and Evander have combined for 13 goals in their 22 combined appearances. The defensive end has been the struggle, where Cincy has conceded multiple goals in seven of its last nine league games.
–Field Level Media
