- Columbus Crew have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five matches, currently on a two-game winning streak.
- New York City FC have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five, currently on a two-game losing streak.
- Columbus Crew have not lost a head-to-head in their last three encounters at home to New York City FC.
Winners of last game land the final blow in a tight contest
Columbus Crew are 21st in MLS 2026, with 16 points from 15 games, and New York City FC sit 17th, with 19 points from their first 15 games.
The head-to-head is finely balanced between the two teams in all competitions (W2, D1, L2), but Columbus have the psychological edge, having landed the last blow, a 1-0 win at home to NYCFC in the USA US Open Cup 2026 eight weeks ago.
Columbus' last two results were a 1-0 win at home to NYCFC in the USA US Open Cup 2026 and a 2-0 home win against Atlanta United in MLS 2026. Columbus Crew are the slight favourite at 101/100, ahead of NYCFC at 277/100, with the draw at 137/50.
Laurent Courtois' pragmatic reset has got Columbus winning games and scoring goals again, with Diego Rossi their biggest goal threat in MLS 2026, with six goals from 15 appearances. Max Arfsten has chipped in with two goals in Columbus' last five games and can provide an extra spark from midfield.
Pascal Jansen has NYCFC playing some very good possession soccer, but with a counterpressing element to it. When they lose the ball, their players are trained to react quickly to stop counter-attacks and get the ball back in numbers. They will always try to have the majority of the ball, creating wide overloads and looking to get in behind the opponent's defence.
Columbus are set up to be compact and play with discipline within their 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 shapes, allowing them to exploit the transition phases and play on the counter. NYCFC will be looking to stretch the game, and Columbus will be content to sit in and pounce.
Hannes Wolf has been in great form for NYCFC, scoring three of their six goals in the last five. In their attack, Nicolas Fernandez has been the best finisher in MLS 2026, with 10 goals in 15 appearances, plus three assists in NYCFC's last five goals. He can be the spark that NYCFC need to win this game.
Columbus Crew are the favourite and they have the home advantage, but NYCFC are the most likely to pull an upset, as their away form has been inconsistent. A home 1X & under 3.5 goals selection fits this script nicely, as Columbus have been excellent at home in MLS 2026, scoring 1.29 and conceding 0.86 goals per game. NYCFC's away form has been patchy, with two wins, two draws and three defeats from seven trips, although they have scored six in those seven.
