Round 2
03.03.2024
04:30
Soldier Field
Chicago USA
Chicago Fire and FC Cincinnati will play against each other in the match day 2 of the MLS campaign. Chicago Fire played a 2-2 draw with Philadelphia Union in the first game and FC Cincinnati played a goalless draw with Toronto FC in their opening game.
Both clubs have taken the lessons from day 1 and they hope to get the first win in game 2.
Get Welcome BonusChicago Fire
Chicago Fire won't be totally disappointed about their start to the campaign. They got a point against Philadelphia Union at the Subaru Park and that should be an encouragement for the tem instead. Chicago Fire scored both goals against Philadelphia Union through Brian Gutierrez and Fabian Herbers and it was unfortunate that they conceded a late equalizer in the 93rd minute. Judging by stats, Chicago Fire were not far behind. They had 46% possession, 4 shots on target and they created 4 big chances during the game.
Looking ahead to the game against FC Cincinnati, Chicago Fire will fancy their chances of getting a win. Frank Klopas deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation against Philadelphia and he has no reason to change it. Fabian Herbers and Brian Gutierrez were the star players against Philadelphia and they will definitely be in the lineup to face FC Cincinnati. Andrew Gutman was taken off in the 5th minute against Philadelphia due to an injury and he is likely going to sit this game out. So, Chase Gasper should fill in the right back position in the upcoming games.
FC Cincinnati
FC Cincinnati played a goalless draw with Toronto FC in the opening game. It was far from the result they expected but they were not horrible in the game. So there's no real reason to panic about the team and they should get a win pretty soon.
They showed a lot of character against Toronto and the stats proved it. They kept 51% possession of the ball, had 5 shots on target and 8 corner kicks in the game. They also created 2 big chances and took 10 shots in the box. Kipp Keller had a solid game playing on the right of the back 3 and he was the best player in the game for FC Cincinnati. He made 5 clearances, 3 blocked shots, 2 interceptions and 2 tackles throughout the game.
FC Cincinnati can look ahead to the trip to the Soldier Field with certain fondness. They have had better results in their last 3 visits.
Pat Noonan looks confident in the 3-4-1-2 system after beating Cavalier 4-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League game a few days ago. Aaron-Salem Boupendza, Gerardo Valenzuela and Alvas Powell were among the starting lineup and each grabbed a goal. They will surely be on the team sheet for the trip to Chicago Fire.
Head to Head
FC Cincinnati and Chicago Fire played 13 matches against each other according to the h2h. FC Cincinnati won 5 and Chicago Fire won 4 and they drew 4 matches.
Analysis and Predictions
FC Cincinnati have had the better results in these games in recent times but there's a high probability that it's about to change this season. Chicago Fire were impressive in the opening game and confidence is running high. With the support of the fans, they will be formidable.
According to the h2h, Chicago Fire have not kept a clean sheet in the last 6 meetings. 4 of their last 5 meetings ended with more than 2.5 goals and both teams scored. They also had more than 4.5 cards in 4 of their last 5 meetings and they played more than 10.5 corners in their last 6 meetings.
- Chicago Fire Win or Draw and Over 1.5 Goals at 1.74 Odds
- Chicago Fire to Score First at 1.82 Odds
- More than 9 Corners at 1.83 Odds
Other predictions
