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Columbus Crew
Major League Soccer
Oct 21, 2023 at 11pm UK
MAPFRE Stadium
Montreal Impact

Columbus Crew
2 - 1
Montreal

Camilo Hernandez (17'), Nagbe (50')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Sunusi (7')
Piette (33')

Preview: Columbus Crew vs. CF Montreal - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Major League Soccer clash between Columbus Crew and CF Montreal, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

With their playoff lives on the line, CF Montreal travel to Lower.com Field on Saturday to face the Columbus Crew on the final day of the MLS regular season.

The Crew have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, playing to a 1-1 draw the last time out versus Atlanta United, while Le CFM are a point above the post-season line heading into Decision Day, following a 4-1 victory over the Portland Timbers.


Match preview

Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy on August 1, 2023© Reuters

For the first time since capturing the MLS Cup in 2020, the Columbus Crew are in the playoffs and will close out the regular season on a five-match domestic unbeaten run.

The first season as head coach for Wilfried Nancy has been a smashing success, with the Frenchman guiding Columbus to 54 points thus far, just three shy of equalling their single-season MLS club record from 2008 when they collected 57 points in 30 games.

Throughout the 2023 domestic season, the Crew have been a significant handful for opposing defences to contain, scoring a league-high 65 goals, 19 more than a year ago and just two back of their highest total in one MLS campaign set in 1998.

While this team can finish no worse than fifth in the Eastern Conference, a victory this weekend would ensure they begin the playoffs at home.

A win might also eliminate Montreal from the playoffs, a club Nancy was a part of for over a decade, guiding them into the post-season a year ago before moving to Columbus.

One area Nancy will want to see his side improve on heading into the post-season is their ability to kill off a game, with just one win in their last four MLS affairs, despite scoring first in two of those instances (1-1 draw versus Dallas and 1-1 draw with Atlanta United).

CF Montreal celebrate after the win on June 21, 2023© Reuters

Montreal appeared to be in free fall for weeks, winless in seven successive MLS fixtures, before coming to life against the Timbers the last time out.

Le CFM may be a little fortunate to be above the playoff line, but as streaky as they have been in 2023, this team seem to come up big when needed.

The job for Hernan Losada's men on Saturday is simple, win, if they can do that, Montreal would qualify for the Wild Card round, while a draw or loss would open the door for the New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire to overtake them in the standings with both sides just a point behind them, though Le CFM hold the first tiebreaker with two more wins than each of them.

While the task may be simple for them on Saturday, being able to earn three points away from home has proven to be exceedingly difficult for Le CFM this season, as they have the third-fewest MLS road victories so far (two) after leading the league in that category under Nancy a year ago (11).

Not only have Montreal lost the second-most away contests in MLS this season (12), but many of those defeats have been lopsided, with Le CFM losing seven road fixtures by three or more goals.

When this team can play vertically and stretch the field, they have proven to be dangerous, suffering just one domestic defeat all year when scoring multiple goals (4-2 defeat versus Columbus).

Columbus Crew Major League Soccer form:

CF Montreal Major League Soccer form:


Team News

Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez (9) celebrates a goal on September 17, 2023© Reuters

Will Sands is the only injury concern for the Crew this weekend as he will not be available because of a knee sprain, Steven Moreira may not be ready either after being called up for Cape Verde in their friendly this week against Comoros, while Patrick Schulte and Aidan Morris were called up to the USA Under-23 squad, though journeying from Phoenix to Columbus will be a lot shorter.

Cucho Hernandez scored his team-leading 15th of the MLS campaign the last time out, while Diego Rossi has nine goal contributions in his 10 appearances since joining this team (three goals and three assists), though he failed to get on the scoresheet in Atlanta.

In their previous meeting with Le CFM, Hernandez picked up a hat-trick while an own-goal by Gabriele Corbo gave them an early 1-0 lead.

Montreal might be missing some key players in this critical encounter as Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and Aaron Herrera are dealing with ankle strains, Ahmed Hamdi hurt his leg and Robert Thorkelsson has an adductor injury.

They should have three other critical pieces to their roster back in time, as Romell Quioto helped Honduras advance into the last eight at the CONCACAF Nations League, while Samuel Piette and Mathieu Choiniere both featured for Canada in their 4-1 friendly defeat versus Japan, with the latter collecting his first international cap off the bench.

Choiniere was on the scoresheet in the previous Montreal encounter, as their team leader for MLS goals (five) and assists (five) this season had one of each against the Timbers, while the other goals came courtesy of Sunusi Ibrahim, Kwadwo Opoku and Mason Toye.

Columbus Crew possible starting lineup:
Schulte; Moreira, Camacho, Vallecilla; Gressel, Nagbe, Yeboah, Zawadzki; Rossi, Matan; Hernandez

CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Campbell, Waterman, Corbo; Choiniere, Wanyama, Piette, Lassiter; Ibrahim, Opoku, Quioto


SM words green background

We say: Columbus Crew 2-0 CF Montreal

Knowing that a win is likely what they need on Decision Day, we expect the desperation level for Le CFM to ramp up the longer this match remains tied, and that should play right into the hands of the Crew, who are deadly on the counter and can hurt you in a variety of ways.

How to watch

You can watch Columbus Crew vs. CF Montreal and every MLS match this season live on Apple TV. Click here for more details on how to subscribe.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 2.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Columbus Crew vs Montreal

Columbus Crew
57.1%
Draw
28.6%
CF Montreal
14.3%
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Eastern Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Inter MiamiInter Miami34228479493074
2Columbus Crew34199672403266
3FC CincinnatiCincinnati341851158481059
4Orlando City34157125950952
5Charlotte FCCharlotte FC34149114637951
6New York City FCNY City34148125449550
7New York Red BullsNY Red Bulls34111495550547
8CF MontrealMontreal341110134864-1643
9Atlanta UnitedAtlanta341010144649-340
10DC United341010145270-1840
11Philadelphia UnionPhiladelphia34910156255737
12Toronto34114194061-2137
13Nashville SCNashville3499163854-1636
14New England RevolutionNew England3494213774-3731
15Chicago Fire3479184062-2230

Western Conference

TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Los Angeles FCLos Angeles34197863432064
2Los Angeles GalaxyLA Galaxy34197869501964
3Real Salt LakeSalt Lake341611765481759
4Seattle SoundersSeattle34169951351657
5Houston DynamoHouston34159104739854
6Minnesota UnitedMinnesota Utd34157125849952
7Colorado RapidsColorado34155146160150
8Portland TimbersPortland341211116556947
9Vancouver WhitecapsVancouver34138135249347
10Austin FCAustin34119143948-942
11Dallas34118155456-241
12St Louis City34813135063-1337
13Sporting Kansas CityKansas3487195166-1531
14San Jose EarthquakesEarthquakes3463254178-3721


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