Preview: New York City FC vs Nashville SC - prediction, team news, lineups

For the first time in nearly four years, Nashville SC will pay a visit to Yankee Stadium on Sunday to face New York City FC in the second meeting of the 2025 regular season between the two.

A 4-3 win at Dallas in their previous MLS affair has the Pigeons holding down a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, while Nashville lost some ground in the race for first, suffering a 3-1 defeat at St Louis City last Saturday.

Match preview

Following their group stage exit at the Leagues Cup, New York City will have their focus squarely on ensuring they remain above the playoff line between now and the end of the regular season.

Pascal Jansen’s men are currently on a three-match unbeaten run in league play but have not won consecutive competitive games since May.

Only two points currently separate them from the New York Red Bulls on the outside of the playoff picture, though the Boys in Blue have two games in hand on Charlotte FC for an automatic place in the first round of the post-season.

This side have had their way with the opposition at Yankee Stadium in MLS of late, winning their last three domestic affairs in the Bronx by a combined margin of 10-2.

Since suffering a 3-2 defeat at home to the Columbus Crew in June 2024, NYCFC have a 100% record when leading after 45 minutes in a regular-season game at Yankee Stadium, winning in all three of those instances.

They are unbeaten on home soil in this competition against Nashville SC, conceding a goal or fewer in all three of those prior affairs.

Last weekend, Nashville lost more ground in the race for first in the Eastern Conference, struggling to keep up against St Louis City away from home.

With eight matches remaining, they are third in the East, four points below the Philadelphia Union for first and two points back of FC Cincinnati.

BJ Callaghan’s men are on a two-match losing run domestically and in danger of suffering three successive MLS defeats for the first time since September-October of last year.

Nashville SC have lost three straight regular-season affairs away from home, failing to score a single goal in any of those encounters.

The Boys in Gold have won their last five matches in this competition when netting the opening goal, without a single goal conceded in either of those outings.

Although they have never won an away match against the Pigeons, they held them off the scoresheet in their only previous meeting at Yankee Stadium, earning a 0-0 draw in 2021.

New York City FC Major League Soccer form:

New York City FC form (all competitions):

Nashville SC Major League Soccer form:

Nashville SC form (all competitions):

Team News

Leg issues kept Keaton Parks, Malachi Jones and Thiago Martins out of the New York City fold against Dallas, while Hannes Wolf was back in the lineup for the final Leagues Cup fixture, coming on as a substitute.

Alonso Martinez scored a hat trick in their previous league fixture, with Jonathan Shore also finding the back of the net for the first time in this competition.

Last Saturday, knee injuries kept Walker Zimmerman, Taylor Washington, Maximus Ekk and Tyler Boyd out of the Nashville lineup, Daniel Lovitz sat out due to a sore foot, Julian Gaines was sidelined with a thigh strain, while Alex Muyl will miss this match because of yellow card accumulation.

Hany Mukhtar converted an 85th-minute penalty to make their match with St Louis City look a little more respectable, giving him 12 goals for the season.

New York City FC possible starting lineup:

Freese; Gray, Tanasijevic, Haak, O’Toole; O’Neill, Perea; Wolf, Moralez, N. Fernandez; Martinez

Nashville SC possible starting lineup:

Willis; Najar, Palacios, Maher, Meyer; Tagseth, Brugman; Yazbek, Mukhtar, Shaffelburg; Surridge

We say: New York City FC 1-0 Nashville SC

The Boys in Gold seem to have got a little too comfortable with their position in the table, while NYCFC know their games in hand mean nothing if they don’t take care of business, and we believe that desperation will put them over the top on Sunday.

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