St. Louis City SC
- Their rivals, by contrast, were erratic and ultimately missed the playoffs, bringing in a new head coach and reshuffling the roster in the offseason.
- St. Louis closed 2025 with defensive instability and sporadic attacking output.
- New coach Olof Mellberg has a strong reputation as a disciplinarian and a man who likes his teams well-organized, which should suit this squad that he will be aiming to develop over the next few seasons.
- With Roman Bürki at the backbone of a defence in need of stability, and the club returning creativity in midfield with Marcel Hartel and more thrust in the forward areas with João Klauss, Simon Becher and Cedric Teuchert, Mellberg should have a much better chance of getting the best out of the talent at his disposal.
Charlotte
- Charlotte’s attack fired on all cylinders late in 2025 with Wilfried Zaha, Pep Biel and Idan Toklomati all hitting double-digit goal contributions.
- In Henry Kessler, they have added an experienced center-back to improve the defensive stability that Kristijan Kahlina provided with heroics in the closing stages.
- Dean Smith, the former Premier League boss, has built a pragmatic, disciplined and well-structured attack since taking over in 2023 and his side should be in a strong position to start this season positively.
- Charlotte’s vertical style of play, with the ball played into the channels for fullbacks to overlap and players to make runs in behind, could be very effective against a St. Louis team that will try to press high and force turnovers.
Head-to-Head
St. Louis City SC have the only win in MLS’s all-time head-to-head record against Charlotte, beating them 3-1 in their first-ever meeting back in March 2023.
Key Players
- Charlotte
- Wilfried Zaha
- Pep Biel
- Idan Toklomati
- Henry Kessler
- St. Louis City SC
- Roman Bürki
- Marcel Hartel
- João Klauss
- Simon Becher
- Cedric Teuchert
Betting Insights
- The home side are 2.1 favorites here, but Charlotte’s form and the circumstances around this game suggest they are priced generously at 3.45.
- The Both Teams to Score market is very heavily favored at 1.53, which reflects the attacking talent of the teams and the questions around both defences.
Prediction
- This matchup will be all about transitions and which team can make them count, so the both teams to score option is still well worth supporting at 1.53.
- But the hosts, with home advantage and a new era under Mellberg, are just tipped to edge a close game that Charlotte’s rampant attack will be capable of spoiling.
