Western Conference side Seattle Sounders will welcome Eastern Conference outfit CF Montreal to Lumen Field for their MLS encounter on Thursday.
The hosts have accumulated 23 points from their 15 league matches this season, while the visitors have picked up three more points, although they have played a game more.
Match preview
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Seattle managed to maintain their impressive run of form on home soil when they secured a comfortable 3-0 win against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
Will Bruin opened the scoring in the eighth minute before two strikes within five second-half minutes from Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan sealed all three points for the Sounders.
Brian Schmetzer's men have now won four of their last five home league matches, scoring 13 goals in the process, and last weekend's result has seen them climb up to seventh place and into the playoffs, two points above Houston Dynamo in eighth with a game in hand.
Seattle, however, are currently nine points and six places worse off than at this stage last season and hopes of finishing inside the top two of the Western Conference for a sixth successive campaign may depend on whether they can maintain their strong run of form.
The Sounders head into Thursday's game having failed to win any of their last three meetings against Montreal, although their last encounter was back in June 2019 when they lost 2-1 on the road.
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Montreal bounced back from a heavy 4-0 loss to Toronto in the Canadian Championship with a 2-1 win at home to Charlotte on Sunday.
A lively start to the contest saw Romell Quioto's sixth-minute opener cancelled out just three minutes later by Guzman Corujo. However, the hosts regained the lead two minutes after half time courtesy of a strike from substitute Mathieu Choiniere and they managed to hold on for all three points.
Wilfried Nancy's side have climbed up to third in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind league leaders Philadelphia Union, although New York City FC in second place would move to the summit if they were to win their game in hand.
Although Montreal have lost four of their last six MLS away games, they should be confident of securing a positive result on Thursday as they have picked up 16 points from their last 24 available against Seattle.
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Team News
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Seattle duo Xavier Arreaga and Raul Ruidiaz remain sidelined with hamstring problems, while Joao Paulo is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ACL injury.
Schmetzer is unlikely to make too many changes, if any, to his starting lineup following last weekend's victory, with Alex Roldan, Yeimar Andrade, Jackson Ragen and Nouhou Tolo all set to retain their places in the back four.
New recruit Albert Rusnak and Kelyn Rowe could continue in centre-midfield while playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro is set to start in the number 10 role behind striker Will Bruin.
As for Montreal, top scorer Djordje Mihailovic – who has found the net seven times in 13 games this term – is ruled out with an ankle injury, while Tomas Giraldo and Bjorn Johnsen are sidelined with respective hamstring and foot problems.
The absence of Mihailovic will likely see either Ahmed Hamdi or Sunusi Ibrahim start in an attacking midfield role alongside Joaquin Torres, with Romell Quioto operating as the lone striker.
Centre-back Kamal Miller remains doubtful with a knock so Alistair Johnston could slot into the back three once again, while former Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama is expected to captain the side in centre-midfield.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; A. Roldan, Andrade, Ragen, Tolo; Rowe, Rusnak; C. Roldan, Lodeiro, Morris; Bruin
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Breza; Johnston, Camacho, Waterman; Brault-Guillard, Wanyama, Kone, Lappalainen; Torres, Hamdi; Quioto
We say: Seattle Sounders 2-1 CF Montreal
A closely-fought contest is set to be played out at Lumen Field, but Seattle will be regarded as the slight favourites given their impressive home form.
Although Montreal currently sit higher in the overall MLS standings, we can see the hosts securing a slender victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
