Preview: Los Angeles Galaxy vs Minnesota United - prediction, team news, lineups

The final regular-season matches in Major League Soccer will be decided this weekend, and the Los Angeles Galaxy will welcome Minnesota United to Dignity Health Sports Park.

Current champions LA Galaxy have no chance of making it to the playoffs, as they are currently rooted to the bottom of the Western Conference, while the visitors have booked their place in round one of the post-season.

Match preview

Fans of LA Galaxy will be disappointed about how their 2025 Major League Soccer regular season turned out, having emerged as champions in the previous season.

After 33 regular-season fixtures, Greg Vanney’s team could only manage six victories, nine draws, and 18 losses, a record which is the worst in the West.

Those statistics pale in comparison to the last campaign, when they won 19 regular-season fixtures, along with seven draws and eight losses.

Although they have been decent going forward, with 44 goals scored in 33 matches, they have the second-worst defence in the Western Conference, having conceded 65 goals.

In their last league exertion, the six-time champions claimed a 2-1 victory over Dallas FC, and that could serve as a source of inspiration for a team looking to wrap up their regular season campaign on a winning note.

In more positive news for Los Galacticos fans ahead of this contest, their side are unbeaten in five matches against this weekend’s opponents since May 2024, having recorded three victories and two draws across all competitions.

Elsewhere, Minnesota United booked their place in round one of the MLS playoffs well ahead of time, after earning a 1-1 draw against Portland Timbers in gameweek 29.

Passage to the 2025 playoffs makes it their sixth appearance at that stage in the previous seven seasons, and the second consecutive qualification under Eric Ramsay.

That said, there has been a drop in their momentum since securing their playoff berth, as they have struggled for consistency, with two wins, a draw, and one loss in four league fixtures.

Although they have won a further seven points since gameweek 29 to take their tally to 58 points, they have dropped two places from second to fourth in the Western Conference standings, behind Vancouver Whitecaps (63), San Diego FC (60) and Los Angeles FC (59).

The visitors have not had the rub of the green in recent clashes between them, and the Black and Blue will go into this fixture aiming to claim their first triumph against Vanney’s men for the first time since October 2023.

Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer form:

Los Angeles Galaxy form (all competitions):

Minnesota United Major League Soccer form:

Minnesota United form (all competitions):

Team News

Vanney has a long list of players who will be out of contention for the fixture against Minnesota United this weekend.

Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig has been sidelined by a cruciate ligament injury he sustained in December 2024, and he will remain on the sidelines for this encounter.

Marco Reus (hamstring) and Christian Ramirez (leg) are also not expected to be included in Vanney's plans for this fixture.

However, there is positive news for the home side, as Joseph Paintsil and Ruben Ramos, both of whom were out on international duty, will be available for selection.

Minnesota, on the other hand, have little to worry about concerning injuries, as only Carlos Harvey (knee) and Kevin Yeboah (muscle) are out injured at the moment.

Tani Oluwaseyi, who scored 10 goals in 24 fixtures, has since departed for Villarreal in the Spanish La Liga, but Joaquín Pereyra, who has five goals and 11 assists, is expected to form a partnership with Robin Lod, who has 10 goal involvements.

Los Angeles Galaxy possible starting lineup:

Micovic; Nelson, Garces, Yoshida, Yamane; Fagundez, Cerrillo, Wynderi; Gabriel Pec, Nascimento, Cuevas

Minnesota United possible starting lineup:

St Clair; Markanich, Boxall, Duggan, Diaz; Rosales, Trapp, Triantis; Hlongwane, Pereyra, Lod

We say: Los Angeles Galaxy 2-2 Minnesota United

Both sides enter this contest with indifferent form, meaning this could go either way. However, both sides have quality going forward, and we reckon this could end in a 2-2 draw.

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