Preview: Minnesota United vs Queretaro - prediction, team news, lineups

Minnesota United and Queretaro will both get their respective Leagues Cup campaigns underway with a meeting at the Allianz Field on Thursday morning.

The teams have had contrasting domestic seasons so far, as the home side sit third in the Western Conference of the MLS, while the visitors are currently bottom of Liga MX, albeit after only just three matches.

Match preview

Queretaro ended the 2024-25 season with two wins from their final three matches, but their start to the current campaign has wiped out any optimism they would have had at the start of proceedings.

Saturday's 2-0 loss to UNAM Pumas made it three defeats from as many matches for Benjamin Mora's men, who are the only side in the Mexican top flight still yet to pick up a point.

Los Albiazules' last League Cup foray ended in an early exit after one point and one goal from two matches, and the Bajio-based outfit will be eager to put on a much better showing this time around.

With games against the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake next on the menu, Queretaro could really do with a positive start as they seek to kickstart their season.

Conceding the opener has become a recurring theme for Thursday's visitors, who have conceded the first goal in seven of their last eight matches, and a repeat of that here would leave them with a mountain to climb.

Having featured in the knockout stages of the Leagues Cup just once across its five previous editions, Minnesota United's task of making a deep run into the latter stages has been made a lot harder this time around given the new format of the competition.

Eric Ramsay's men are one of 18 MLS sides who have three matches to stake their claim for one of just four quarter-final berths, so any points dropped could prove costly in the grand scheme of things.

The Loons will arrive into their curtain-raiser off the back of a comeback 2-1 victory over St Louis City thanks to a pair of second-half penalties from Kelvin Yeboah.

Now up to seven goals in his last nine matches, Yeboah will need to be on song for Minnesota United if they are to give a good account of themselves in their upcoming continental assignment.

While Thursday's hosts have had little problem finding the back of the net, they have been suspect at the other end, with just one clean sheet from their most recent 11 outings across all competitions, an area that needs improving going forward.

Minnesota United form (all competitions):

Queretaro form (all competitions):

Team News

Joaquin Pereyra and Nicolas Romero were absent from Minnesota's last outing through suspension, but both men are available to feature once again.

However, Hassani Dotson and Ho-yeon Jung remain ruled out through knee injuries, with the former having not played since March.

Goalkeeper Wessel Speel wraps up the hosts' guaranteed absentees after recently completing a loan move to Irish outfit Shelbourne.

Federico Lertora continues his spell on the sidelines with a calf problem, and the Argentinian is still a considerable way off making a return to action.

Jose Canale is back from a toe issue but has had to make do with a place on the bench in each of the visitors' three matches so far.

Minnesota United possible starting lineup:

St Clair; Rosales, Romero, Diaz, Duggan, Gressel; Hlongwane, Lod, Harvey, Pereyra; Oluwaseyi

Queretaro possible starting lineup:

Jose Hernandez; Valencia, Mendoza, Escamilla, Manzanarez, Venegas; Rodriguez, Zapata, Bogarin, Julio; Jesus Hernandez

We say: Minnesota United 2-0 Queretaro

Queretaro's issues at both ends of the pitch make it hard to envisage a positive outcome for the Mexican side, especially away from home. We strongly expect Minnesota to run out routine winners come the sound of the final whistle.

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