Inter Miami hosts Nashville looking for revenge after August's 4-1 rout

The 4-1 loss from August 15 still stings. That night, Hany Mukhtar played executioner with a brace, and Nashville taught a lesson to an Inter Miami side that had no answers. Now the rematch arrives, and there's little appetite for a repeat of that story.

On Saturday, September 12, the Herons host Nashville in MLS matchday four, and this meeting promises more than just three points. Rodrigo De Paul, Cassemiro and, of course, Lionel Messi will be tasked with erasing that bad memory in front of their home crowd.

Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. (Argentina, Chile and Uruguay time) and 6:30 p.m. (Colombia, Peru and Ecuador), with live coverage on Apple TV.

How both teams arrive

Inter Miami is unbeaten in its last three matches: two draws and a win in that recent stretch. It's a short unbeaten run, but enough to build some momentum. The problem is that the gap with Nashville in the standings remains considerable, and this matchup could be a key chance to close it.

Nashville, meanwhile, arrives off a fresh stumble, having fallen in its last outing against Toronto. Even so, the club remains atop the conference, which confirms that August's blowout was no fluke. With Sam Surridge and Mukhtar up top, Nashville boasts one of the league's most effective attacking duos, a fact that carries extra weight whenever they step onto an opponent's field.

The names who will decide the match

On the home side, the obvious focal point remains Messi, flanked by two players of real stature in Cassemiro and De Paul, who give Inter Miami's midfield another dimension. On the other side, Surridge and Mukhtar stand as the main threat: the duo that did so much damage to the Herons' defense in their last head to head meeting.

There's a rematch on the line, and also a broader fight to move up the standings. Rarely does a regular season match carry as much intrigue as this Inter Miami-Nashville clash at Nu Stadium.