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Gonzalo Higuain returns as red-hot Inter Miami faces New York Red Bulls at home Friday

Phil Neville was thrilled by Christian Makoun’s game-winning stoppage-time goal Tuesday; but the Inter Miami coach would prefer less dramatic victories, beginning Friday night at home against the New York Red Bulls.

“In an ideal world, I don’t want us to keep leaving it to the 96th minute… I don’t think that would be good for anyone around this football club,” Neville said. “Even though we won, I wasn’t happy with the performance level of the team.”

Since late July, Inter Miami has gone from bottom-dweller to playoff contender with seven wins, three ties and just one loss in the 11 games since the embarrassing 5-0 home loss to the New England Revolution.

“We have fallen in love with winning,” is how midfielder Jay Chapman summed up the team’s recent run.

The top seven teams in each conference make the playoffs. Miami is in eighth place, one point shy of the playoff line with a game in hand compared to the teams just ahead of them. A win Friday would push Miami up to fifth place. A near-sellout crowd is expected at DRV PNK Stadium as the team debuts its new XBTO-sponsored jerseys.

“We’re now getting to the part of the season that I enjoy more than anything,” Neville said. “This is when you earn your money. This is where you have to be courageous and brave. We’re massively excited. We know there’s going to be a big turnout, and we have to make sure we live up to those expectations.”

The team had a quick turnaround this week, returning from Toronto on Wednesday, and light training Thursday. Leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain, who stayed home from the Toronto game to rest, will be back in the lineup against the Red Bulls.

But Miami might be without two regular starters. Forward Robbie Robinson and midfielder/captain Gregore are both “massive doubts,” Neville said. Midfielder Victor Ulloa remains out with a thigh injury.

Gregore has been dealing with “niggles for the last three or four weeks” and could be held out.

Neville said he wants to manage Robinson’s minutes carefully as the young winger missed games early in the season with hamstring issues. Robinson started five of the past six games.

“Robbie played only his second full 90 minutes in professional football on Tuesday,” Neville said. “He played on Saturday, he played the week before, and he is a boy we want to maintain at the absolute top level of physical fitness. We had the problems at the start of the season with his hamstrings, etc.. and we want to make sure we’re doing the right things.

“He is feeling tired and we just need to make sure that he is right for the game, so we recovered him [Thursday]. He is a boy that wants to play, but he is also a boy that we need to protect.”

Though Miami is ahead of New York in the standings, Neville and his players expect a tough match from the Red Bulls, who are in 11th place.

“They are a team with massive energy who are not probably getting the results their performances have justified over the last four or five games,” Neville said. “Their average age is under 23 and they have bags of energy. These young players are fearless.”

New York is known for its high-pressing style, and Chapman said that can be dangerous.

“Red Bulls is always a tricky opponent,” Chapman said. “They’re a team that likes to create chaos by transitions, winning second balls in advantageous areas, so we need to be good with the ball because if you make mistakes they are ready to win the ball and attack very fast.”

Despite Miami’s recent run of success, Neville has demanded his players raise their level Friday.

“We’re winning games without playing outstanding football,” Neville said. “We have made massive huge steps since the New England game and now we just need to make another giant step forward, not in terms of the results. The results have been really good. But in terms of our performance levels. If we want to get to where we want to get to, we need to keep improving.”