Jordi Alba once again proved to be a key figure for Inter Miami in Tuesday’s MLS victory over the Seattle Sounders. After the match, the Spanish defender spoke about his connection with Lionel Messi, expressing his hope to end his career alongside the Argentine star.
Amid an injury crisis, head coach Javier Mascherano pushed Alba further forward into a left midfield role, with Noah Allen covering at left back. The move paid off as Alba opened the scoring from a Messi assist before returning the favor with a pinpoint cross to set up his longtime teammate, evoking memories of their days together at FC Barcelona.
In the mixed zone, Alba was asked about his chemistry with Messi. “The relationship is the same as always. Playing with Leo makes me a better player, and we already understand each other just by looking at each other. Obviously, there are many passes that the other team is also watching out for, but that’s where we can take advantage with other players,” he explained.
The veteran defender then shared his long-term wish to continue alongside Messi until the end of their playing days. “I like looking for Leo, he looks for me, and in the end, thank God we’ve scored many goals together, and hopefully it stays that way until the end of our careers,” Jordi Alba concluded.
Despite being a natural left back, Alba has become one of Messi’s most reliable partners on the pitch. Between Barcelona and Inter Miami, he has delivered 31 direct assists to the Argentine, including three of his six this season. The numbers highlight that their connection shows no signs of slowing down.
Jordi Alba to start in midfield?
With injuries sidelining Fafa Picault, Telasco Segovia, and Baltasar Rodriguez, Mascherano has turned to Alba in a more advanced role. Though rarely deployed higher up the field, Alba thrived against Seattle, making the tactical gamble a success once again.
In his post-match press conference, Mascherano explained the plan. “To attack, at the start of the play we set up a back line of three, with a deep fullback in Noah (Allen), and a high fullback in Ian (Fray) to give us width and depth on the right side, while Jordi gave us that on the left,” he said.
The coach added further detail: “We tried to create superiority with our three midfielders because they pressed with six, so that Leo could drift and find the space where he feels most free, and with Tadeo (Allende) giving us depth. The idea was to build in attack with a 3-5-2, and then defend in a 4-4-2 with Jordi as a wide midfielder and De Paul on the right.”