Columbus Crew
- Columbus Crew are playing better than NYCFC in MLS 2026, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their last 5 matches, compared with NYCFC's 2, 1 and 2.
- Columbus Crew are on a 2-game winning streak, while NYCFC are on a 2-game losing run.
- The Crew are 21st in MLS 2026 with 16 points from 15 games while NYCFC are 17th on 19 points after as many games and the gap in the league is only reflected in the away form of the two teams.
- Columbus are solid at home with 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses from 7 games, and a respectable 1.29 goals per game scored and 0.86 conceded.
New York City FC
- The visitors have played 7 away games in MLS 2026, won 2, drawn 2 and lost 3, but have scored six goals in that run of seven, which is encouraging.
- NYCFC are also playing good soccer, and they will be looking to dominate possession and create overloads wide, which should suit a Crew side that wants to sit deep and hit them on the counter.
Head-to-Head
- Columbus Crew have a tied record in the head-to-head, winning 2 and losing 2 of the last 5 meetings, with 1 draw (W2, D1, L2).
- The Crew got the better of NYCFC in their most recent meeting - a 1-0 home win in the USA US Open Cup 2026 eight weeks ago.
Key Players
- Diego Rossi is their main scorer in MLS 2026 with six goals in 15 games, but Max Arfsten has chipped in with 2 of the Crew's 6 goals in their last 5 to give them another finisher from midfield.
- NYCFC have been good going forward under Pascal Jansen, who has made the team play a possession-heavy, counterpressing game when they lose the ball.
- Hannes Wolf has scored 3 of NYCFC's 6 goals in their last 5 while Nicolas Fernandez leads their attack with 10 goals in 15 MLS games and 3 assists in NYCFC's last 5 goals.
- He is their man for the big occasions.
Betting Insights
- Columbus are the rightful favorites for this clash at 2.01 ahead of NYCFC at 3.77 and the draw at 3.74.
- Columbus have only lost 2 of their 7 home games, while NYCFC have failed to win any of their last 3 away games at this venue.
Prediction
We are giving the Crew the edge on home turf with a 1X bet, and under 3.5 goals as the game should remain tight and contain few goals.
