MIAMI — Lionel Messi is on fire with six goals and six assists through four playoff games heading into the Eastern Conference final between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.

With the astonishingly youthful 38-year-old Argentine leading the way, Miami has reached peak form the past two weeks, knocking off dangerous Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati by identical 4-0 scorelines.

Messi and his teammates scored a league-high 81 goals during the regular season (no other team scored more than 68) and finally, the defense, which was leaky far too often, shored up to match the precision of the team’s attack.

Everything is looking rosy for the men in pink, who are two home wins from lifting the first MLS Cup trophy in club history.

But coach Javier Mascherano warned on the eve of the big game (6 p.m., Apple TV) that NYCFC is a formidable opponent that has established a reputation as road warriors.

He and his staff have been drilling that message into the heads of the Miami players all week, hoping they are not feeling overconfident after a pair of brilliant performances that has many pundits and fans calling them favorites to win it all.

New York is the only team that won three playoff games on the road.

NYCFC knocked Charlotte off on the road in two of three first-round games and edged Supporters’ Shield winner Philadelphia Union 1-0 on the road in the Eastern Conference semifinal last weekend despite injuries to top scorer Alonso Martínez, who injured his knee while with the Costa Rican national team earlier this month, and midfielder Andrés Perea.

NYCFC has lost just one of its past nine road games dating to July.

“We’ve competed well so far, but we haven’t achieved anything yet,” Mascherano told reporters Friday morning. “We have to understand that even though we earned home-field advantage, Saturday’s game will be very difficult.

“We’re facing an opponent that’s earned the right to be in the conference final, an opponent that’s won three playoff games on the road, the only team to do that. Our mentality and our vision in this next game is we must go for it from the opening minute, the way we did against Nashville and Cincinnati.”

In addition to Messi, Tadeo Allende is in top form with a pair of braces during the past two games, and 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti has stepped up in place of Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez, who was suspended for the Nashville game and dropped from the starting lineup against Cincinnati.

Silvetti scored a goal and had two assists against Cincinnati. Miami’s attack has been more dynamic with the two young, strong, speedy Argentines flanking Messi.

In four playoff games, Miami has outscored opponents 12-3.

“A lot of people can assume it’s Messi against all these other teams, but that’s not the case,” said NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen. “They have great players, whoever they want to play in the starting 11. And Messi is a league of his own. That’s clear.”

The last time the teams played on Sept. 24 at Citi Field in New York, Inter Miami won 4-0 and clinched a playoff spot. Messi scored twice in that game, Baltasar Rodriguez scored and Suarez scored on a penalty kick. Three of the Miami goals were scored in the span of 12 minutes late in the game. NYCFC missed two golden opportunities to take the lead in the first half.

Neither coach is putting much stock in that result at this juncture of the playoffs.

“If you go back to that game, it was close for 70 to 72 minutes, pretty even with two big opportunities for us to go one-nil up before they even scored the goal,” Jansen said. “We have to take that into account but also respect the fact that they’ve been playing a little differently than back then.”

Among the NYCFC players to watch are Argentines Maxi Moralez and Nico Fernandez, and U.S. national team goalkeeper Matthew Freese. New York scored just 50 goals this season, lowest among the nine Eastern Conference playoff teams, but the team plays tenacious defense.

“We know what we’re up against,” said New York defender Kevin O’Toole. “We obviously know their level of commitment and urgency to try to win the title, but we’re in the same boat. We give them a proper amount of respect, but we can’t overdo it. And we need to play our game and impose our will.”

O’Toole added that he and his teammates enjoy the challenge of playing on the road.

“I think we’ve kind of relished playing in the away environments this year and really enjoyed those hostile environments and silencing crowds,” he said.

The game has added significance for Inter Miami stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who will retire at the end of the season.

“I could have continued playing one or two more years, but it’s a decision I made, and I am happy about it, hoping for a few more good games and to be able to leave on a high note,” Alba said. “I hope Saturday is not my final game. I am confident things will go well.

“I have always appreciated the day-to-day of my career. Of course, I go into the next game knowing it could be my last, just as I felt before the Nashville and Cincinnati games, but hopefully it will be the 6th of December.”

The winner of Saturday’s game faces Vancouver Whitecaps or San Diego FC on Dec. 6 in the MLS Cup final. If Miami advances, the final will be in Fort Lauderdale because Inter Miami earned the most points in the Supporters; Shield standings.

Apple TV lead analyst Taylor Twellman said NYCFC “100 percent is going into this game as underdogs,” especially due to the injuries of Martinez and Perea.

Asked who he favors in the matchup of Miami’s Messi-led attack vs. NYCFC’s defense, Twellman replied: “I’ll take Messi 10 out of 10 times.”

He then explained what he thinks New York City will have to do to beat Miami.

“Matt Freese is going to have to make three or four saves and have the kind of game Brad Guzan had [for Altanta United] in Game 3 last year if New York City’s going to get to MLS Cup,” Twellman said. “But it’s not that much of an overmatch that NYC is going to have to sit and defend and weather a storm.

“The way NYC wins is not going to be a clean sheet. They’re going to have to score. If you go into a game hoping to get a clean sheet against Messi and Miami … in 56 games across all competitions, Miami was held scoreless just nine times, and in MLS games, five times. If NYC goes in thinking we’re going to win this one-nil, you’re playing with fire.”

Tickets for Saturday’s game are available at intermiamicf.com

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