Columbus Crew will be looking to end a run of poor results against Nashville SC when both teams square off in an MLS fixture on Sunday. Columbus have been in good form lately, particularly at Lower.com Field and should finally get one over on their rivals, who have found things difficult on their recent travels.
Columbus Crew are coming off a 1-1 draw with New York City FC in their previous MLS fixture. They took the lead just after the break through Christian Ramirez and looked to be headed for a win before the hosts struck an injury time equaliser.
While manager Wilfried Nancy will be disappointed with late equaliser, the result means Columbus Crew have now extended their unbeaten run to four matches. They have claimed three wins in that run and remain well on course for a playoff finish, sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Lower.com Field has been a fortress for Columbus Crew in recent weeks as they have won their last three home matches. While the goals have flowed freely in attack, they have struggled to maintain their discipline at the back, keeping just one clean sheet in their last five home matches across all competitions.
Nashville SC were victorious in their previous MLS fixture as they claimed a 3-1 home win over St Louis City. Hany Mukhtar netted a hat-trick as they held on for the win despite a late blitz from the visitors.
The result means Nashville are now unbeaten in their last four matches, claiming three wins in that run. Gary Smith’s men have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season as they sit second on the standings, eight points behind leaders Cincinnati.
While things have appeared smooth for Columbus Crew lately, their form on their recent travels had been slightly suspect. They have won just once in their last three away matches across all competitions and were beaten 1-0 by Montreal in their previous fixture on the road.
How the bookies view it
Columbus Crew have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win priced at 21/20 by 10bet. A victory for Nashville SC is valued at 14/5 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 27/10 by William Hill.
Head to head
Columbus Crew and Nashville SC have two wins each and two draws from six previous matches. However, Nashville have claimed the upper hand in recent meetings, winning the last two clashes, including a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in May.
Players to watch
Christian Ramirez often features in attack for Columbus Crew and is their leading scorer this season with six MLS goals. The forward has also found the net three times in his last three matches and is priced at 21/10 by William Hill to maintain that scoring run.
Nashville also have a prolific attacker of their own in Hany Mukhtar, who has 13 MLS goals this season. He was also on target in the reverse fixture and is priced at 9/5 by William Hill to get in the score sheet on Friday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Columbus Crew and Nashville SC both know their way to goal and having produced over 3.5 goals in the reverse fixture, a repeat could be on the cards at 21/10 by BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 17/20 by bet365.
There were more goals after the break in the reverse fixture and Sunday’s clash can be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This MLS match between Columbus Crew and Nashville SC will be played on Jun 25, 2023 and kick off at 00:30. Check below for our tipsters best Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
