FC Cincinnati vs CF Montreal Prediction: Don't rely 100% on Cincinnati

Cincinnati FC will face Montreal CF in this MLS game that might bear some serious implications for both. Cincinnati is currently in better form compared to Montreal, but both had to suffer unhappy results in the previous games: Cincinnati went on to suffer a 2-0 defeat to Inter Miami, while Montreal was embarrassed by New England Revolution in a one-sided 5-0 defeat. This is a very important game for both teams as they are looking for very critical points at this point of the season.

Cincinnati has been pretty indifferent in their last five matches, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. They have been quite OK at the back, generally, allowing 5 goals in these matches, but the attack has also been alright, scoring 6 goals. Although they lost in the last match, they still are in a stronger position compared to Montreal.

Though Cincinnati's defense has been fairly organized lately, it did show several vulnerabilities in their last game against Inter Miami. At home, they will revert back to a more solid defensive structure. In the midfield, Cincinnati will balance possession with quick transitional play in their approach toward controlling the tempo. The players who will be key men in linking up defense and attack are Luciano Acosta and Junior Moreno. Home advantage is likely to come into play, so Cincinnati may push forward and get as much as possible from Montreal's weak defense. Its attacking players will become key—like Brandon Vazquez—to unlock Montreal's backline.

Montreal is in a poor run of form where from their last 5 matches they have won just 1 and lost 4. Minus other flaws, the 5-0 hammering at the hands of New England Revolution exposed them at the back. Its away form has been a big concern going ahead for Montreal as they couldn't find consistency on the road, and this will be the big problem as they go to Cincinnati.

Montreal's defense has been leaking, more so in the past heavy losses. They will have to dig deeper to try and avoid the same with Cincinnati. The team might get deeper into their shells a little more. This means that they will sit back deeper than they usually do. The defensive set-up by Montreal has failed to control their games in the middle of the pit. They have been swept aside by their organized opponents. They need to do a much better job at keeping the ball and disrupting Cincinnati's rhythm to have a chance of coming out on top. Since Montreal has been so poor defensively, it is likely that they find most of their goals on the counter. This will make players like Sunusi Ibrahim and Romell Quioto very important in taking advantage of spaces that Cincinnati leaves when they advance on this third.

Their H2H record is level at 4 wins each, with 3 draws. The last time, Montreal recorded a home win over Cincinnati by 2-1. The H2H record does show, however, that although it's balanced, it's often a competitive fixture where neither team has dominated on a regular basis.

Looking at the current form of both teams and the tactical analysis, Cincinnati FC enters this match as a slight favorite, mostly due to their home advantage and Montreal's weak defensive record. However, the even H2H record reflects that this can be a match closer than it really is on paper.

If Montreal can lock down on defense and tag Cincinnati with a few transition attacks, there may be a draw or even an outright upset on the cards. Based on the form factor and tactical setup, though, it's something of a stretch.

• Cincinnati Win or Draw and Over 2.5 Goals at 1.63 Odds
• Both Teams to Score at 1.63 Odds
• Over 9 Corners at 1.83 Odds