FC Cincinnati vs Chicago Fire

FC Cincinnati and Chicago Fire are set to lock horns in a lopsided Major League Soccer showdown at TQL Stadium.

Cincinnati’s impressive three-game winning run ended last weekend as Charlotte thumped them 3-1 at this stadium, yet they’ve preserved a top spot in the Eastern Conference. With only one point separating them from second-placed Inter Miami ahead of this round, Pat Noonan’s men are desperate for redemption against a Chicago side they’ve defeated in back-to-back MLS meetings after going winless in two beforehand (D1, L1). As the last eight league encounters between Cincinnati and Chicago featured a full-time margin of under 1.5 goals, it stands to reason that another evenly-contested game could be on the cards. But that doesn’t mean the TQL Stadium crowd won’t be in for a treat, knowing Cincinnati’s last four home league matches have produced over 2.5 goals and ‘both teams to score.’

In the meantime, Chicago’s rotten patch continued last weekend, with a scoreless home draw against New York City marking their fourth winless game in five (W1, D1, L3). Back-to-back scoring blanks in the build-up to this trip paint a bleak picture from second-from-bottom Chicago, who start this round four points adrift of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Playing on the road spells further trouble for Frank Klopas’ travelers, as they lament the worst away record in the east (W1, D4, L6) after losing their last three MLS outings on hostile turf. Though it sounds surprising, the visitors have only lost one of their five previous away league encounters against Cincinnati (D2, L2), which could offer them a much-needed confidence boost.