Inter Miami stays fourth in MLS Power Rankings ahead of Atlanta United clash | OneFootball

Inter Miami is preparing for its crucial match against Atlanta United on Saturday night. Despite the importance of this encounter, any possible score will be overshadowed by the retirement news of Jordi Alba.

On Tuesday, via social media, the Spanish legend posted a video announcing his decision to leave the sport at the end of the season. Adding the fact that Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and four other players won’t be available for the game against the Five Stripes.

Nevertheless, Inter Miami should be happy with the official MLS website's recent article with the latest power rankings.

Inter Miami must benefit from the latest power ranking positions

The Herons arrive at this match at Chase Stadium with inconsistent performances. A horrible and disastrous defeat against the Chicago Fire ended their run for the Supporters’ Shield, while a week later, Inter Miami bounced back with a dominant win over the New England Revolution.

However, without four starting players, Javier Mascherano needs to figure out the best lineup to continue this winning streak and eliminate any possible route to a loss.

According to the mentioned outlet, Inter Miami sits in the fourth position of the MLS Power Rankings. The benefit of these rankings is that the Herons maintain their position from the last time this list was released.

The official site states that Inter Miami should focus on winning the games to play the most games at home ahead of the playoffs. Adding that the same inconsistent performances that kept them from winning a back-to-back Supporters’ Shield could be the same reason why they might not win the MLS Cup.

On the other side, Atlanta United arrives at Chase Stadium as one of the worst teams in this ranking. According to the MLS, the Five Stripes sit in 28th place, just ahead of Sporting Kansas City and D.C. United.

Atlanta's last game was the 1-0 defeat against LAFC. Mascherano should take a look at that match; he could learn many things from their horrible performance. For instance, Atlanta United recorded only three shots in that game, all from outside the box, as LAFC's defense was solid.

Also, the team registered a 0.07 xG, the worst and lowest mark of the team's history.

To conclude, Inter Miami must win the clash on Saturday to try to catch FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference and get the chance to play as many games as possible at home.