- New York City FC and Columbus Crew are both on 12 points from 11 games, currently 20th and 22nd respectively.
- City have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five games, including a 0-2 home defeat to D.C. United three days ago.
Two clubs looking to build momentum for promotion
New York City FC and Columbus Crew are level on 12 points apiece after 11 games of MLS 2026, leaving the two Eastern Conference clubs in the bottom two spots in the table and desperate for a boost. NYCFC have had the more disappointing run of results, losing three, drawing one and winning only once in their last five, while the Crew have picked up three wins in that time, including a 2-0 win over Philadelphia Union in MLS 2026.
Pascal Jansen’s City are more of a typical European-style soccer club for the city, with a highly structured team that plays with possession and presses in a situational manner. They dominate space in a methodical way, with Maxi Moralez providing their main attacking outlet with six assists in 11 games and Talles Magno finding a purple patch with four goals in his last five, having found the net four times in City’s last 12. Their main goal threat, however, is Nicolas Fernandez, who has bagged eight goals in 11 league appearances this term.
Columbus Crew, on the other hand, play a more aggressive version of the American soccer style, pressing with numbers and transitioning quickly into vertical attacks to create turnovers and exploit space. Henrik Rydström has taken this tactic to its heights since taking over in January 2026, and Wessam Abou Ali’s fine run of form in attack, with five goals in seven appearances in MLS 2026, is a result of the system.
Expect a chess match on Sunday
This tactical battle promises to be a chess match, with City’s patient, structured game up against Columbus Crew’s wave-like pressing and rapid transitions. Neither side has managed to dominate space for long enough to dictate the game, however, and with each team’s attacking quality and defensive weaknesses on display, we expect both teams to score and both teams to concede plenty on Sunday.
City’s home record in MLS 2026 reads two wins, two draws and three defeats from seven games, conceding 13 goals at an average of 1.86 per game. Columbus Crew have also struggled on the road, winning one, drawing one and losing three in MLS 2026, scoring 1.80 goals per game and conceding 2.00. NYCFC won the last meeting between the two sides 3-2 in MLS 2025, with one win, one draw and one defeat in the last three.
Backing the draw at 66/25 seems like a good value bet, while Over 2.5 goals at 77/100 and Both Teams to Score - Yes at 14/25 are also appealing, as these two sides could put on an entertaining affair.
