MIAMI — Mexican cuisine varies in spiciness from mild to extra hot, and the same can be said for matchups between MLS and Liga MX teams over the years. Some of the rivalries were less spicy, some more.

It is safe to say there has never been a more piquant or anticipated showdown between an MLS team and a Liga MX team than the second leg of the Inter Miami vs. Monterrey Champions Cup quarterfinal Wednesday night.

A global audience is expected to tune in at 10:30 p.m. ET as Lionel Messi and his Miami teammates take on Mexican heavyweight Monterrey for the final spot in the Champions Cup semifinals. A sellout crowd of 53,000 is expected at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, and word is Tigres fans from across town are going to show up in pink to root for Messi and against their archrival Rayados.

Fans can watch on FS1 in English and in Spanish on TUDN.

In the first leg at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale last Wednesday, Monterrey scored two goals in the final 21 minutes to secure a 2-1 come-from-behind victory and an advantage heading home in the two-leg aggregate series. Messi sat out that game with a hamstring injury, the fourth in a row he missed, but returned to action Saturday in a league game against the Colorado Rapids and scored a goal 13 minutes after coming in off the bench.

He is expected to play against Monterrey.

“He felt good after playing 45 minutes (against Colorado), so apparently the injury is behind him, which is the most important thing because our season is just beginning,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said in his pre-game press conference from Monterrey Tuesday night.

What does Inter Miami have to do to advance?

To advance outright, Miami needs to win Wednesday’s game by at least two goals. A one-goal win would force extra time and potentially a PK shootout. Any tie or loss would eliminate Miami.

As if that weren’t enough to fire up Messi and his team, both the Monterrey goals last week were scored after Inter Miami went down a man following the expulsion of midfielder David Ruiz with two yellow cards. The decision to throw out Ruiz drew the ire of Messi, and several of his teammates, and a heated argument with the referee and Monterrey’s coaching staff erupted in a hallway between the two team locker rooms.

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