Inter Miami vs Monterrey prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for CONCACAF Champions Cup first leg

A battered and bruised Inter Miami side faces its toughest test of the season to date as they host a very strong Monterrey squad for the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi is expected to be available for this match after spending a few weeks sidelined with a hamstring injury, but his absence and imminent return is just the tip of the iceberg for Inter Miami boss Tata Martino. The club lost new midfield signing Federico Redondo to a lengthy knee injury, and defender Serhiy Kryvtsov has also gone down with a hamstring problem.

With the patchwork squad pieced together with the remaining available players, they must now defend Chase Stadium against one of Liga MX's strongest and most complete teams. Monterrey sit second in the domestic table 13 matches into the Clausura, level on points with leaders Club America but behind by just one on goal differential.

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The Monterrey squad boasts a host of Mexican international talent, both present and past, and they added a number of key offseason acquisitions from abroad as well. U.S. international Brandon Vazquez has been excellent in his early career at the club, while Jorge Rodriguez has been solid in midfield after joining from Estudiantes.

This will be a monumental test for Inter Miami, and one they are ill-equipped to face at this juncture given their many fitness and availability concerns.

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Sure, Mexican clubs have struggled to produce consistent results away from home, specifically on U.S. soil, but make no mistake, Monterrey are the better club in this matchup, in large