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Former Major League Soccer players Calen Carr, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Pavel Pardo and Sacha Kljestan have made predictions for the Leagues Cup final between Nashville SC and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.
Inter Miami lock horns with MLS rivals Nashville in the Leagues Cup final at Geodis Park on Saturday (August 19). The Herons have won each of their six games on the road to the final and will be determined to keep the winning streak intact.
Former Houston Dynamo attacker Calen Carr has predicted that Inter Miami will beat Nashville 3-1. The ex-attacker pointed out that the Herons have netted first in all but one of their six Leagues Cup games. He added that Lionel Messi's presence will also stand Gerardo Martino's side in good stead.
"Nashville will concede possession and Miami have scored the first goal in all but one of their six Leagues Cup games (21 goals overall). Also, it’s Messi in a final – not sure I need a stat to support that. 3-1 Miami," Calen Carr told MLSsoccer.
Bradley Wright-Phillips, meanwhile, reckons Nashville are Inter Miami's toughest opponents since Messi's arrival. The former MLS striker still expects the Herons to emerge victorious, predicting a 3-2 victory for them.
"This will be Messi’s toughest test since arriving in MLS, but Miami will win 3-2 in an incredible final. 3-2 Miami," Wright-Phillips said.
Pavel Pardo acknowledged Nashville's quality, especially in attack, but said that Messi in a final is a force to be reckoned with. Not only did he tip Inter Miami to win 3-2, but he also backed the Argentinian icon to bag a brace. He said:
"Nashville have been flying, especially as Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge forge a new partnership in attack. But we're talking about Lionel Messi in a final. He gets two for Inter Miami, who add a third from Josef Martínez for the club's first-ever trophy. 3-2 Miami."
Lionel Messi has bagged nine goals and one assist from six games (all in the Leagues Cup) for Inter Miami so far. He will be determined to add to the tally and guide the club to glory in the final against Nashville.
Not all MLS pundits backed Lionel Messi's Inter Miami to beat Nashville
Many expect Inter Miami to emerge victorious against Nashville, with Lionel Messi in red-hot form. However, former LA Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan tipped the Tennesse outfit to beat the Herons 2-1. The ex-United States international, though, expects the Argentinian to continue his goalscoring form.
"I picked Nashville to win the tournament before it started and I’m sticking to it. I can’t believe I'm betting against Messi, but Nashville will stick to their game plan of being organized defensively and capitalize on counterattacks and set pieces. Messi scores, but suffers his first defeat in an Inter Miami jersey. 2-1 Nashville," Kljestan said.
Nashville beat Colorado Rapids, Cincinnati, CF America, Minnesota United and Monterrey on their road to the final. Their only defeat in the tournament came against Toluca in the group stages. The Boys in Gold, meanwhile, relied on penalties to win against Cincinnati and America.
The Tennesse-based club have bagged 15 goals in their six Leagues Cup games so far. They conceded eight goals in that period, keeping clean sheets in their last two outings.
