With or without Messi, here's how Inter Miami can defeat Tigres | OneFootball

Less than 12 hours for the clash of Inter Miami against Tigres for the Leagues Cup. The Herons need to continue with this winning path after their victory against the LA Galaxy.

Despite the eagerness of the fans, Javier Mascherano raised doubts about the possibility of seeing Lionel Messi on the field.

With or without their captain, Inter Miami must benefit from Tigres' biggest weakness.

Here are two ways in which Inter Miami can exploit the opponent’s weaknesses:

Attack open spaces on the wings

Tigres has offensive fullbacks, who often leave spaces behind them. Tigres’ offensive scheme commits many players forward, often leaving gaps in their defensive lines.

If midfielders or center backs fail to cover, these spaces become highly exploitable.

Inter Miami can capitalize on this by quickly winning back possession and launching a direct attack. These rapid transitions will catch Tigres’ fullbacks out of position, creating dangerous opportunities.

If the Herons decide to play with their usual 4-4-1-1, that would leave Rodrigo De Paul, Segovia, or Allende open on the sideline and with space to attack.

Quick and direct counterattack

As I stated before, Tigres uses many players on attack, leaving their defensive side unprotected. The Mexican team struggles to make a quick transition into defense.

This gives Inter Miami a small gap to attack directly with Messi and Suarez.

The Herons are known for their low defensive block, and then attack rapidly with Messi. The opponent's midfielders doesn’t return fast, leaving Inter Miami with a numerical superiority.

De Paul and Busquets need to be sharp because the transition will begin with them.