CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP
CONCACAF Champions Cup: Monterrey set to play Inter Miami and Messi
With Rayados’ victory over Cincinnati in the round of 16, the Mexican team will face Inter Miami in the quarter-finals.
The quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup have been decided, with Monterrey beating MLS Supporters’ Shield holders Cincinnati to reach the next round, where they will face Inter Miami and (an injured) Lionel Messi.
Rayados went into the second leg against Cincinnati with a slim one-goal lead, which they managed to increase on at Estadio BBVA and eventually beat them 2-1, marking their passage to the quarter-finals of the competition. They join Tigres, América and Pachuca as the representatives of Liga MX in the continental competition.
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Is Messi injured? Will he be back in time to face Rayados?
Messi will certainly be out for Inter Miami’s upcoming fixture against DC United, with boss Tata Martino saying that he “has an overload in his right hamstring, so we didn’t want to take any risks. We tried to play a bit more, but it was bothering him, so we decided to make the change [against Nashville].” Despite Messi’s desire to play every game possible this season, Martino revealed at the end of the tie against Nashville that “he won’t be ready for Saturday’s game”.
Messi is due to join up with Argentina next week, ahead of two friendlies in preparation for this summer’s Copa América which will be held in the United States. The World Cup winners will take on El Salvador in Philadelphia on Friday 22 March before playing Costa Rica in Los Angeles on 26 March. This tight scheduling means that Messi will also miss the matchday 5 game against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday 23 March.
Messi, at this stage, if everything goes to plan, should be back for the quarter-final tie against Rayados.
Messi and company made it through the first phase of the competition and reached the Round of 16 where they faced Nashville FC, an MLS team that they defeated with a statement 5-3 aggregate scoreline. However, in the second leg they lost the Argentine star, who was taken off shortly after half-time.
Although there are still no definite times and dates, the first and second leg matches between Monterrey and Inter Miami will most likely take place on April 2 and 9. Therefore, the BBVA Stadium, the home of the Monterrey team, will have time to prepare to accommodate the World Cup winner, who is set to step on Mexican soil once again.