Minnesota United welcome Nashville SC to the Allianz Field on Saturday in gameweek two of the MLS campaign, with the visitors currently sitting fourth in the Western Conference.
Nashville secured victory on the opening day, while Minnesota did avoid defeat, but could only manage to pick up one point, placing them seventh in the early standings.
Match preview
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Last weekend, Minnesota travelled to Pennsylvania where they faced Philadelphia Union, and despite taking the lead through Robin Lod's 23rd-minute strike, the visitors could not hold on for very long and had to settle for a 1-1 draw to begin the campaign.
Adrian Heath's side would have been disappointed that they did not manage to score more goals in that outing, having registered six shots on target, so that is something this weekend's hosts will want to improve on.
Minnesota's home form was much better than their away record last season, and that will give them confidence to secure three points on Saturday, with it being their first home match of the new campaign.
After avoiding defeat on the opening day, the Loons will be aiming to start this year with an unbeaten run, which could help them in the long run as they aim for a playoff spot come the end of the year.
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Nashville faced a tough test on the opening day last weekend, when they had to travel to Lumen Field in Washington to face Seattle Sounders, but they came away with an impressive three points.
Anibal Godoy sealed the 1-0 victory with a successful strike in the 80th minute, and the visitors would have also been pleased with their defensive display, as they limited the Sounders to very little chances on Joe Willis's goal.
Gary Smith's side will be aiming for a similar season to last, when they finished third in the Western Conference, and starting this campaign with back-to-back wins would be the perfect platform to build from.
After both of these teams were involved in low-scoring affairs on the opening day last Saturday, this clash could be another closely-fought match-up, with not much on paper separating them.
Nashville were imposing on their own patch last season, remaining undefeated throughout the year, but they will have the chance to start their away record in the correct way this weekend, which could see them go top of the table in the early stages of the campaign.
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Team News
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Striker Luis Amarilla arrived at Minnesota last month for his second spell with the club, but this time on a permanent basis, and he is expected to lead the line for the hosts this weekend.
Jamaica international Oniel Fisher made his full debut for the club against Philadelphia last Saturday, and he will start at right-back with fellow experienced full-back Bakaye Dibassy likely to start on the left side of the back four.
Lod netted 21 times for Minnesota last season, and after a goal on the opening day of this campaign the 28-year-old will be looking to add to his tally as he aims to beat his score from the previous year.
Experienced MLS midfielder Sean Davis, who racked up over 200 appearances for New York Red Bulls across a seven-year period, made his first start for Nashville last weekend, and he is expected to retain his place in the starting 11.
The visitors could line up in the same way in which they did on the opening day, meaning that Charles Sapong and Hany Mukhtar will continue to lead the line for Nashville.
Godoy and Randall Leal also offer an attacking threat from slightly deeper than the striking duo, while Dax McCarty will operate in a more-defensive midfield role.
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
Miller; Dibassy, Boxall, Kallman, Fisher; Dotson, Arriaga; Lod, Reynoso, Fragapane; Amarilla
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Lovitz, Romney, Zimmerman, Miller; McCarty; Godoy, Leal, Davis; Sapong, Mukhtar
We say: Minnesota United 2-1 Nashville SC
This encounter is likely to be a tight game with both teams showing promise from their opening match, but Minnesota demonstrated that they were strong on home soil last season, and that could be the difference this weekend.
Both teams are expected to get on the scoresheet, but home advantage could mean that Minnesota just go on to edge the three points.
Top tip
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 Minnesota United win with a probability of 43.68%. A win for Nashville SC had a probability of 30.06% and a draw had a probability of 26.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a Minnesota United win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.96%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.92%) and 2-0 (7.83%). The likeliest Nashville SC win was 0-1 (8.74%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.48%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 12.5% likelihood.
