- Nashville SC are unbeaten at home in MLS 2026, winning 9 and drawing 1 of 10.
- Columbus Crew have won 1, drawn 3 and lost 6 of their 10 away matches in MLS 2026, conceding 22 goals.
- Nashville's home games are averaging 2.90 goals per match for the Boys in Gold and just 1.00 against.
Back the hosts in a battle of 2026’s top and bottom sides
Nashville SC are a point up at the summit of MLS 2026 after collecting 43 from 19 games and that makes them firm favorites to outplay Columbus Crew, who have 20 points from the same number of fixtures and are languishing in 24th.
BJ Callaghan has got the Boys in Gold playing some flexible, possession-first football that is controlled enough to allow the fullbacks to get forward and aggressive enough that Nashville press as a team to keep the opposition pinned back. They arrive at Geodis Park off the back of a 4-1 home win over Inter Miami in MLS 2026 and a 2-1 away loss to CF Rayados de Monterrey in the Leagues Cup.
Columbus have been in much better form of late, going 3-1-1 across their last five and riding a similar possession-based game that Laurent Courtois has brought back a calmer, more possession-oriented look. They come off a 3-1 away loss to Charlotte in MLS 2026 and a 1-1 home draw with Pumas UNAM in the Leagues Cup, which they won on penalties.
Crew’s lack of away form could be their undoing
Nashville are 1.8 favourites to win this game and that's perhaps a bit short for a home side in this situation, although Columbus are 4.59 with the draw coming in at 3.87.
A Nashville win and over 1.5 goals probably fits this game best, however, given the hosts are averaging 2.90 home goals in MLS 2026 while conceding just 1.00 per game on average. Columbus have been conceding far too many on their travels, particularly over the last few games, so their lack of road form could see them come up short against the best in MLS 2026.
Head-to-head is even at 2 wins each and 1 draw
Nashville beat Columbus 1-0 on the road in MLS 2026 five months ago and Columbus Crew have failed to win on their last trip to Nashville. The last five MLS 2026 meetings between these two are even at 2-2-1, which gives this rivalry a bit of a bite. Sam Surridge has been the star man for Nashville with 12 goals from 13 appearances in MLS 2026, making him a proper spearhead for this team. Columbus do have a genuine goalscorer in Diego Rossi, who has 6 from 15, but they are not getting the same service for him at the moment with Brais Mendez chipping in three of the Columbus Crew's last eight in their five most recent matches.
