Inter Miami forward Matias Rojas says Lionel Messi continues to have an influence on the side even while out injured, as they prepare for Saturday's huge top-of-the-table tussle with FC Cincinnati.
Having gone out of the Leagues Cup at the last-16 stage, Eastern Conference leaders Miami return to MLS action against a team currently one place and five points behind them.
They will be without Messi for the match, however, with next week's clash with the Chicago Fire seen as his earliest possible return date after he was injured in Argentina's Copa America final victory.
Rojas, who was brought in ahead of the 2024 season and has four league goals for Miami to date, says Messi does not switch off when out of action, however.
"Leo is always there. He watches everything and he talks to us before games," the Paraguayan said.
"He communicates more with those who can speak Spanish, he pays attention to what is happening, and he gives his opinion.
"We are proud to be there, enjoying these moments with him. Sometimes I talk to my family to realise what is happening, but as I always say, I will not get tired of saying that we share our days with the best player in the history of football.
"There are no words to describe what I feel every day."
With Cincinnati playing catch-up in the bid to be top seeds, coach Pat Noonan knows they cannot afford to be beaten at Chase Stadium.
"As far as the importance of it goes, with us being behind Miami, the significance of a result is certainly important for the end of the season," Noonan said.
"We're trying to be at home in the playoffs. Right now we're five points behind and trying to close that gap. It'll certainly be challenging to catch them if we don't get a result."
Cincinnati trounced Miami 6-1 on home soil when the teams last met in July, though Gerardo Martino's men were without several key players for that game, and Noonan expects a very different challenge this time around.
"It'll be completely different to our last matchup," Noonan said. "There's six different guys that could be on the field that weren't out there."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter Miami – Luis Suarez
Miami have averaged 2.8 goals per regular-season game in 2024 when Messi has appeared, compared to 1.7 without the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Suarez's 12 goals in MLS this year are as many as Messi has managed, and he also scored twice in four Leagues Cup matches during the mid-season break. He will carry the Herons' foremost threat.
FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta
In Messi's absence, perhaps another Argentine can take centre-stage.
Acosta has a league-high 29 goal contributions this season (11 goals, 18 assists) after posting 31 last season en route to the MVP award.
He is one goal contribution away from becoming the fourth player in MLS history to record multiple seasons with 30 or more goal contributions.
MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN
Inter Miami won their first four matches against Cincinnati between 2020 and 2021, only to lose four of five against them in MLS since the start of the 2022 season (one draw), including the last three in a row.
However, the Herons have won five straight home matches in all competitions, scoring multiple goals in each of those victories.
This is their joint longest home winning streak in all competitions in club history, having also won five in a row between July and September 2021.
Miami have also scored 56 goals in 25 regular-season matches this term, and have won as many games without Messi appearing as they have with him (eight).
Cincinnati lost their last away match to the New York Red Bulls on July 20 by a 3-1 scoreline. They have not lost back-to-back road games in all competitions in over two years, since an eight-match losing streak that spanned the end of 2021 and the start of 2022.
However, they enter Saturday's match as outsiders, with Miami doing a decent job of coping without Messi this term.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter Miami – 48.7%
FC Cincinnati – 25.5%
Draw – 25.7%
O'Shea joins Ipswich on five-year deal
Ipswich Town have completed the signing of defender Dara O'Shea from Burnley for an undisclosed fee.
The Republic of Ireland international put pen to paper on a five-year deal at Portman Road, while becoming Kieran McKenna's ninth capture during the ongoing window.
Former West Bromwich Albion and Burnley defender O'Shea will bring Premier League experience to the Tractor Boys' backline following their promotion to the top flight.
"I'm really excited to sign for the club," the 25-year-old told TownTV.
"It was really hard not to pay attention to everything the team was able to achieve last season, and to have the chance to join a club with such ambition and momentum was really attractive.
"I want to play in the Premier League and test myself against the best players in the world, which is something I want to do for as long as possible, and I can't think of a better place to do that."
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Girona: Simeone's side seal first victory of LaLiga season
Marcos Llorente scored a fine individual effort as Atletico Madrid claimed their first LaLiga victory of the season with a 3-0 win over Girona.
Antoine Griezmann and substitute Koke were also on target for Diego Simeone's side at Estadio Civitas Metropolitano.
Atletico, who handed a debut to new signing Conor Gallagher later on, broke the deadlock six minutes before half-time.
Griezmann stepped up and drilled a fierce 18-yard free-kick beyond Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, who had been penalised for handball just outside his own penalty area.
Gazzaniga was helpless again within three minutes of the restart, as Llorente embarked on a powerful solo run from just inside his own half, before rifling into the roof of the net from 20 yards.
And Los Rojiblancos sealed the victory in stoppage time following a swift counter that culminated in Llorente crossing for Koke to volley home.
Data Debrief: Griezmann picks up where Suarez left off
Since the 2015-16 season, Atletico have scored 10 goals directly from free-kicks in all competitions, with Griezmann scoring nine of those.
His effort today was the first such goal by a Los Rojiblancos player since Luis Suarez against Cadiz back in January 2021.
Griezmann also continued his personal scourge of Girona. Indeed, that was the midfielder's fifth goal against them in LaLiga (equalling Borja Iglesias), with no player registering more.
Napoli 3-0 Bologna: Kvaratskhelia on target as Conte enjoys first Serie A win
Antonio Conte oversaw his first Serie A victory in charge of Napoli, who ran out commanding 3-0 winners over Bologna at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Giovanni Simeone were all on target for the Partenopei as they bounced back from their defeat by the same scoreline at Verona on matchday one.
The hosts had not lost their opening two games of a Serie A season since doing so under Zdenek Zeman in 2000-01, and they broke through in first-half stoppage time.
A lovely move culminated in Kvaratskhelia clipping a delightful ball into the box for the onrushing Di Lorenzo to control and fire home.
Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a quarter of an hour remaining; his shot after a fine solo run deflecting beyond Lukasz Skorupski in the Bologna goal.
Napoli wrapped up the points in stoppage time when David Neres cut a cross back for fellow substitute Simeone, who made no mistake from close range.
Data Debrief: A magnificent seven for Di Lorenzo as Simeone ends drought
Napoli opened the scoring via an unlikely source in Di Lorenzo, though he converted the opportunity with aplomb.
The skipper is one of two defenders, along with Cristiano Biraghi, to score in each of the last seven Serie A seasons.
Namesake Simeone climbed off the bench to net his fifth goal against Bologna in the Italian top flight and, more importantly, end a dismal run of 24 successive league appearances without scoring.
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