This is one of the high-stakes games of the 2024 MLS Playoffs best-of-three series between Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls. Both teams go into the playoffs in contrasting form, but each will be desperate to get their nose in front early on. The Columbus Crew has looked strong in recent games, riding a three-game winning streak, while the Red Bulls have struggled for consistent results. Columbus came out on top in a crazy 3-2 win against the Red Bulls in their last clash, where Aziel Jackson was the man of the moment with one goal and an assist. This match will be full of action as both teams have attacking skills and defensive lapses.
Claim Welcome BonusColumbus Crew
Under the helm of coach Wilfried Nancy, Columbus has shown dynamism with their 3-4-2-1 setup, encouraging fluidity in offence through the usage of wing-backs and a heavy central attacking duo. Coming into this match with much-needed momentum, Columbus has three wins in their last five matches, particularly a win over the Red Bulls in their most recent match. Key Trends: Very much suggest a high-scoring potential, their last five matches have seen over 2.5 goals, and "Both Teams to Score" has hit in six of seven. Columbus will be seeking to use the home field to their advantage once again, building on their strong playoff form while making sure their pressing game stays sharp.
Columbus will most likely stick with their preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, looking to use attacking options inside the midfield as much as possible. Wingbacks are expected to push high to offer width and create overloads against Red Bulls' backline. After finding good success using high pressure, Columbus will look to press New York early to disrupt any buildup play. They also don't do too badly in terms of retention, and when it comes to taking advantage of goal-scoring opportunities, they have often scored an early goal in a run that's now extending from four of the last five head-to-head games.
New York Red Bulls
Under Sandro Schwarz, the Red Bulls have had a penchant this season for a deeper lying 4-3-1-2 system that's greatly indebted to getting solid at the back and moving up effectively. Recent results have been inconsistent, with only a single win in the last five and a developing trend of falling behind early in seven of their last nine. The Red Bull defense, strong, has at times buckled under true pressure, as evidenced by its recent defeat at Columbus. Being the underdog, they will go all out to find some loopholes in Columbus' defense so they could hopefully get that away goal to reduce pressure when they host the return leg.
The Red Bulls have traditionally been a conservative side, and they will use their 4-3-1-2 system to focus on fast transitioning from defense to offense. Their three center midfielders will look to shut down the Columbus playmakers, while the fullbacks will more than likely look to focus on their defensive roles in order to avoid exposing their fragile backline. Given that Columbus is a high-scoring opponent, New York may take a conservative approach to this match, aiming to absorb pressure and look for counterattacking opportunities. But it will be defensive discipline that wins the day if they are to prevent an early lead being established by Columbus.
Head to Head
Historically, Columbus has had the better of it, winning 11 of the 20 matches to the Red Bulls 5, with 4 games ending all-square. Columbus has a good record in the recent series that has seen the team win in the last three consecutive meetings. One thing that might be worth noting, though, is that recent matchups have been full of goal action: over 2.5 goals have been seen in the last five matches, while both teams have found the target in seven of the last eight matches.
That fact is a reflection of their proactive style; Columbus has scored first in four of their last five meetings. Both teams have been playing below 10.5 corners, insinuating there will be fewer set-piece opportunities. Head-to-head matches between the sides have been card-heavy, with the last six head-to-head encounters averaging over 4.5 cards per game.
Expert Betting Tips
The Columbus Crew comes into this match with good momentum, with a strong attacking advantage confirmed by their recent victory over the Red Bulls. This fixture could be expected to be back-and-forth, considering how both teams usually score multiple goals against each other. Moreover, Columbus is always proactive with the game and opens the scoring first, which works in their favor, considering they are playing at home, where they have always managed to produce results. The Red Bulls, on the other hand, must improve on defense in order to fend off the attack of Columbus. Given their form and trends of late against the opponent, it seems Columbus will be the one that can maintain the advantage to take the lead in this playoff series opener.
- Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.60 Odds
- GG (yes) & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.77 Odds
- Columbus Crew Wins @ 1.70 Odds
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