Toronto vs Columbus Crew

BMO Field forms the backdrop as Toronto FC and Columbus Crew go head-to-head in a high-stakes Major League Soccer showdown.

Consistency has not been Toronto’s strong suit lately, although they come into this matchday off the back of a 2-1 home triumph over Atlanta United. Indeed, the Canadian heavyweights have alternated between winning (2) and not winning (D1, L1) across their last four league outings, three of which saw over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring. None of Toronto’s eight home league matches have ended level (W5, L3), suggesting the BMO Field crowd could be in for a ‘winner takes all’ encounter. That gives the ‘Reds’ the upper hand, as they’ve come out victorious in six of their seven previous home MLS H2Hs (L1), including the last three on the spin.

In the meantime, visiting Columbus Crew are dealing with a rotten patch of form, having won just one of their last six league outings (D3, L2). A brace of low-scoring draws in the build-up to this travel indicates the visitors may look to keep things tight. Adding to this sentiment, seven of Columbus’ eight away league matches in 2022 have featured a full-time margin of under 1.5 goals, with 57% of them ending level. Another stalemate is not what the ‘Crew’ need, as they head into proceedings trailing the Eastern Conference playoff zone by five points.