FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew Prediction: Expect it to be tight

The playoffs approaches its final stage and the two teams standing in the Eastern Conference are FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew. Both clubs can hold their heads high after a tough round of games in the playoffs and they hope to win the trophy.

 FC Cincinnati defeated New York City and Philadelphia Union in the knockout round to book their place in this final game. And Columbus Crew defeated Atlanta United and Orlando City SC in the previous knockout rounds. This will be the 3rd meeting between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew this year, with both sides winning one of their previous two meetings.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati had a very successful season, finishing top of the Eastern Conference and the MLS to win the Supporter’s Shield for the first time in their history. That gave them automatic qualification for the playoff tournament and once again they showed their brilliance.

 In the playoffs, they won all 3 matches they played in. They defeated New York Red Bulls 3-0 in the first leg and then they drew 1-1 in the return leg, but FC Cincinnati claimed the win after a penalty shootout. Then went on to face Philadelphia Union in a single leg match and they won 1-0.

 FC Cincinnati look unstoppable this year and they look set to pick up another silverware to round off a memorable season. But first they have to beat Columbus Crew in this game. Their last encounter against the Crew ended in a 3-0 defeat to FC Cincinnati.

Columbus Crew

The Crew also deserve the applause for their efforts up till this point of the season. They ended the league season in 3rd place on the Eastern Conference table and 3rd on the MLS table. And then they went on to participate in the playoffs. They played 4 matches in the playoffs, winning 3 and losing just 1.

 They started off with a 2-0 win over Atlanta United, then they lost the return leg 4-2, which automatically meant the round was going to be decided by a third match. Then they went on to win the third match by 4-2. In the next round they faced Orlando City in a single-legged match and they won 2-0.

 Columbus Crew are now in contention against FC Cincinnati and they have a chance to win a trophy. They had beaten FC Cincinnati this year and they won by 3 goals to nil. However, they also lost to FC Cincinnati 3-2 earlier in the season.

Head to Head

Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati have played 14 matches against each other in the past. Columbus Crew won 7 matches, while FC Cincinnati won 3 times and they played a draw 4 times.

Analysis and Predictions

It's a game of emotions and massive pressure and there’s no telling what we can expect. Credit to FC Cincinnati for being on top form throughout the season and then in the playoffs and same to the Crew. But it's going to go down to who wants it more because both sides look evenly matched and prepared for this showdown.

 From their previous meetings, there’s been more than 2.5 goals scored in 7 of their last 8 matches and both teams scored in 5 of their last 7. FC Cincinnati also scored the first goal in 5 of their last 7 league meetings against Columbus Crew.

• Home Win or Draw and Over 1.5 Goals at 1.75 Odds
• Both Teams to Score at 1.61 Odds
• Correct Score 2-1 at 9.00 Odds