Preview:Austin FC vs Los Angeles FC - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to stave off elimination, Austin FC will return to Q2 Stadium on Sunday to battle Los Angeles FC in game two of that best-of-three opening round series.

In the first match between the two, the Black and Gold scored 11 minutes before the 90 to claim a 2-1 triumph, putting them one win away from another trip to the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

Match preview

It is do or die for the Verde and Black on Sunday as they look to avoid equaling their longest losing run versus MLS opposition this year (three games).

Resolute defending and some heads-up transitional moments have helped propel this team to the post-season, but the latter has been lacking in recent outings.

Nico Estevez has seen his side net a goal or fewer in five consecutive MLS affairs, counting their opening round defeat to the Black and Gold earlier in the week.

Austin will enter this contest having collected at least a point in 10 of their previous 11 league fixtures at Q2 Stadium, emerging victorious in three of those last four outings.

Sunday will mark just their third playoff game at home, and this club have never lost a post-season encounter in the Texas capital, defeating Dallas 2-1 in 2022.

They are unbeaten in their last two meetings with LA at Q2 Stadium, having conceded just one goal combined in those two games, with a 1-0 victory against them in Austin in early October.

After just one playoff match, Los Angeles FC are in a familiar position from seasons past, one victory away from the second round for a third successive year under the best-of-three series format.

That said, this team dropped points in their final two away matches of the regular season, and have lost their last two playoff games as the visitors.

Steve Cherundolo’s men have owned Texas clubs in the post-season though, winning all three of those prior encounters, conceding just one goal over that stretch.

LAFC have gone on to win 10 of their previous 11 MLS playoff contests when netting the opening goal, with their only defeat over that run coming last year versus the Seattle Sounders (2-1 in extra-time).

The Black and Gold have conceded an opening half goal in only two of their previous nine playoff games while going on to lose those two matches when doing so.

This will be the third time they battle Austin in the post-season, with LAFC winning those two previous outings against them by a combined margin of 5-1.

Austin FC Major League Soccer Playoff form:

Austin FC form (all competitions):

Los Angeles FC Major League Soccer Playoff form:

Los Angeles FC form (all competitions):

Team News

For this must-win game, Austin will be missing Brandon Vazquez, who is dealing with a knee injury, while Diego Rubio is recovering from a hamstring strain.

Jon Gallagher levelled the opening match of this series at 1-1 just beyond the hour mark after a Brendan Hines-Ike own-goal put them behind in the opening half, though in the end they fell short.

Los Angeles will be without Aaron Long on Sunday due to an Achilles injury, Igor Jesus is out with a knee problem, Odin Thiago Holm has a sore leg and Lorenzo Dellavalle is unavailable because of a cruciate ligament tear.

Nathan Ordaz had the winner for them on Wednesday, his first of the post-season, while Mathieu Choiniere, Marco Delgado, Son Heung-min, Jailson, Ryan Porteous and Nkosi Burgess all made their playoff debuts for the Black and Gold.

Austin FC possible starting lineup:

Stuver; Cascante, Hines-Ike, Biro; Desler, Sanchez, Pereira, Gallagher; Obrian, Uzuni, Wolff

Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:

Lloris; Palencia, Porteous, Burgess, Hollingshead; Choiniere, Amaya, Delgado; Tillman, Heung-min, Bouanga

We say: Austin FC 1-0 Los Angeles FC

Cherundolo has a wealth of big game players he can count on for moments like this, and we trust that someone will step up to turn the tide in their favour on Sunday

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.