Top of the Eastern Conference and in a rich vein of form, Philadelphia Union will face a stern test at home to playoff hopefuls CF Montreal on Saturday evening.
Both sides have enjoyed strong starts to the campaign and the pair will be keen to continue this when they meet at Subaru Park.
Match preview
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Last weekend's defeat to Canadian outfit Toronto FC represented the first defeat in an otherwise unbeaten start to the season for the Union.
Since drawing their season opener against Minnesota United, the Union went on a remarkable run of winning their next five games, while conceding only one goal.
Surprisingly, their tally of just four goals conceded is not the lowest in the Eastern Conference, as mid-table Chicago Fire have only shipped two so far.
However, at this early stage of the season, their superior points tally to everyone else in the division has got the Union supporters dreaming of another high finish this season.
For Montreal, their campaign has been stuttering at times, but they do occupy one of the seven playoff spots heading into the weekend.
After a shaky start to the season that saw them lose their opening three games, Montreal have turned a tide in recent weeks, winning their previous three Major League Soccer outings.
Hoping to make it four on the bounce at Subaru Park, a wretched record against the Union will not inspire Montreal.
Last victorious against the Philadelphia-based side in July 2019, Montreal are currently five matches without a win against the Union.
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Team News
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While their form has been close to imperious so far this season, a clean bill of health has helped the Union start the campaign on top.
One of the standout performers so far has been Daniel Gazdag, who has scored four goals for the Union from midfield.
At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Andre Blake will be eyeing up a fourth clean sheet in five matches.
Such good luck with injuries has not benefited Montreal, who head into the weekend with a bumper list of names currently receiving treatment.
Midfield duo Mathieu Choiniere and Tomas Giraldo have been recovering from foot and leg injuries, but could be in line for a return before the end of the month.
Similarly, Samuel Piette is not expected to miss too much more football with an ankle problem, whereas Mason Toye's recovery from a groin injury is nearing its end.
Bjorn Johnsen could be involved for Montreal, with the midfielder now on the mend having been absent due to illness.
Philadelphia Union possible starting lineup:
Blake; Harriel, Glesnes, Elliot, Wagner; Martinez, Flach, Bedoya; Gazdag, Uhre, Carranza
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Breza; Miller, Camacho, Waterman; Lappalainen, Wanyama, Ibrahim, Kone, Johnston; Quioto, Mihailovic
We say: Philadelphia Union 3-1 CF Montreal
Whether or not the Toronto defeat will prove to have just been a blip for the Union will be found this weekend, as the conference leaders take on more Canadian opposition in Montreal.
With the tools to hurt most teams in this division, expect a confident Union side to shrug off a stuttering Montreal outfit.
Top tip
Amos Murphy
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Philadelphia Union win with a probability of 59.2%. A draw had a probability of 23.3% and a win for CF Montreal had a probability of 17.55%.
The most likely scoreline for a Philadelphia Union win was 1-0 with a probability of 13.17%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (11.55%) and 2-1 (9.65%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (10.99%), while for a CF Montreal win it was 0-1 (6.27%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 11% likelihood.
