Either the top-ranked MLS team or the defending champions will head home sooner than expected as the Columbus Crew hosts Inter Miami in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami rose to prominence last year when they won the competition, with new signing Lionel Messi leading the way. This time around, Messi has not played a single minute in the Leagues Cup due to an ankle injury. He is expected to return to training at some point this week, but this game seems likely to come too soon for him to play.

Therefore, his teammates will be looking to pull off an upset against the Crew, who crushed Sporting Kansas City 4-0 in their Round of 32 match. It was the first game of the competition for Columbus, which earned a bye to the knockout rounds by winning the league last season.

Columbus is in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, ten points behind Inter Miami, but with Messi and the rest of the Crew missing from the group stage, Columbus is the favorite in this game.

MORE: Leagues Cup 2024 table, schedule and standings: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami aim to defend MLS title against Liga MX

Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami Live Stream, TV Channel

The Round of 16 match between Columbus Crew and Inter Miami was not selected for television broadcast and will therefore be streamed exclusively via Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.

Apple TV did not broadcast any Round of 16 games free, so this game is only available to MLS Season Pass subscribers. Those who want to subscribe to the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV can do so at a discounted price since the season is halfway complete.

MORE: Find out which Leagues Cup games are streaming for free on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass

When is kickoff for Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami?

This Leagues Cup Round of 16 match begins on Tuesday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. local time at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

This is how time is converted in the different time zones in North America:

Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami: Lineups and team news

The defending MLS Cup champions are well rested thanks to their bye in the Leagues Cup group stage. The only injured player is the reserve goalkeeper Evan Bush who is out due to a broken arm sustained during rehab from a previous injury.

Regular Starters Patrick Schulte sat on the bench for Columbus’s round of 16 match after returning from an Olympic appearance, and it is unclear whether Nicholas Hagen whether Schulte will continue to be the “cup goalkeeper” or will be back on the pitch after a well-deserved break.

Expected starting lineup of Columbus Crew (3-4-3): Hagen (TW) – Moreira, Camacho, Amundsen – Farsi, Zawadzki, Nagbe, Arfsten – C. Ramirez, Cucho, Rossi.

While Lionel Messi appears to be close to returning to the pitch, however, it is unlikely to happen in this game as he is not yet training with the rest of the Inter Miami squad, instead being limited to individual sideline work.

defender Hector Martinez will be suspended for this match as he received a red card at the start of the match in the round of 32. This means that either Serhiy Kryvtsov or Noah Allen will likely start in the club’s wafer-thin defence, which largely depends on Kryvtsov’s fitness. They lack Facundo Farias And Nicolas Freire due to cruciate ligament tears, although the former could return in the next one to two months if his recovery progresses well.

Benjamin Cremaschi has just returned from the Olympics but could be fit enough to start if Tata Martino wants to rotate his midfield.

Inter Miami’s expected starting lineup (4-3-3): Callender (GK) – Weigandt, Aviles, Kryvtsov, Alba – Cremaschi, Busquets, Redondo – Gressel, L. Suarez, Rojas.

Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami Prediction, Odds & Lines

• Result prediction: Columbus Crew – Inter Miami 3:1

Inter Miami are much better at home than away, and with so much roster turnover due to injuries and international duty, Tata Martino has struggled to achieve any kind of consistency this season.

The team has done incredibly well, but against the defending MLS Cup champions, who have been resting a lot of late, and without Lionel Messi, it will be too difficult for the Leagues Cup winners to progress. The Herons are still a strong team, but this is a weak opponent for a defense plagued by injuries.