The MLS season continues at the weekend as Nashville SC welcome FC Cincinnati to Geodis Park in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Both of these sides are sitting pretty in the Eastern Conference table with the hosts in fourth and their visitors just ahead of them in third coming into the match.
Match preview
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It has been a superb start to the season for Gary Smith's Nashville as seven points from their opening four games has them in the top four of the league, just three points off Atlanta United at the summit.
The campaign began with a 2-0 success at home to New York City before a 0-0 draw away at New York Red Bulls was followed another two-goal victory against Montreal, although last time out the Tennessee outfit were beaten 1-0 by New England Revolution.
Nashville will be eager to bounce back from that defeat with three points against Cincinnati, and a triumph at the weekend will take them above their hosts and may put them level on points with the league leaders. However, should they lose they risk falling out of the playoff places altogether and back into mid-table.
Jacob Shaffelburg is already proving to be an astute addition as he has netted two goals in four matches since his move from Toronto in November including the opener in their last win a fortnight ago, and he will be hoping to add to his numbers from the left wing on Sunday.
Nashville have won five of their last seven home matches, a run which stretches back to last season, and the pair of 2-0 wins they have already recorded this term means that they have outscored their opponents in those games by a score of 17-4. Smith's side are aiming to make it six triumphs in eight at Geodis Park and three in a row to start 2023 with another victory in their next match.
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Pat Noonan's Cincinnati have also begun the campaign in terrific fashion as they are unbeaten so far, with two wins and as many draws from their first four games of the year putting them third in the table.
Last time out the Ohio outfit drew 3-3 at Chicago Fire, so the Orange and Blue will be looking to get back to winning ways against Nashville. Should they do so then they will go four points clear of their hosts and could even end the weekend top of the division.
That draw against the Fire was the first time in an MLS match that Cincinnati have claimed a result after being more than a goal down - having lost on the previous 49 occasions - and this resilience is a good sign for the months ahead as they look to mount a title challenge.
Having drawn both their matches on the road this term, Noonan's side will be aiming for their first away win of the season on Sunday, and they will be confident of doing so given that they had the fourth-best record in such games in 2022 with six triumphs and only four losses in 17.
The Orange and Blue have not lost in their last eight fixtures on the road, a run that stretches back to July 2022, and they could be the first team to go nine clashes on their travels without defeat since Portland went 10 unbeaten between 2012 and 2013.
The history of this fixture is on the side of Nashville with the hosts having won three of the last five meetings between the sides - including two 6-3 victories in 2021 and when they last met in a friendly in February - so Cincinnati will be out for revenge on at the weekend as they look for their first win over these opponents since a 3-2 success in 2022.
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Team News
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Nashville will be without centre-back Nick DePuy on Sunday after he underwent Achilles tendon surgery recently, so club captain and USA international Walker Zimmerman will partner Jack Maher in the heart of their defence.
The hosts otherwise have a clean bill of health ahead of the meeting with Cincinnati so they will use a 4-2-3-1 system with Hany Mukhtar, Alex Muyl and Shaffelburg supporting Teal Bunbury upfront.
Pat Noonan has a fully fit squad to choose from for the trip to Tennessee, so Brandon Vazquez and Brenner will play as a front two and be supported in the number 10 role by Marco Angulo.
Junior Moreno will play in midfield having bagged twice against Chicago last weekend, while Ian Murphy, Yerson Mosquera and skipper Matt Miazga will make up a three-man defence.
Alvaro Barreal and Raymon Gaddis will be charged with providing the width for the visitors in the wing-back roles and will look to supply the forwards with quality service.
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Moore, Zimmerman, Maher, Lovitz; Davis, McCarty; Mukhtar, Muyl, Shaffelburg; Bunbury
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Gaddis, Miazga, Mosquera, Murphy, Barreal; Moreno, Nwobodo; Angulo; Brenner, Vazquez
We say: Nashville SC 1-2 FC Cincinnati
This should be a closely fought clash as both these teams are in good form and are next to each other in the table, but Cincinnati have considerable firepower upfront with Vazquez and Brenner leading the line, and Noonan's side may just edge the contest due to this attacking quality.
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Top tip
Ollie Hawthorn
