Huntington Bank Field is set to host a six-pointer at the top of MLS' Eastern Conference when Columbus Crew welcome Inter Miami on Saturday.
The Black and Gold will be looking to make it four wins on the bounce this weekend, while the Herons are hoping to extend their unbeaten league run to eight games.
Match preview
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Wilfried Nancy's Crew have made an unbeaten start to the 2025 edition of the Eastern Conference, with their five wins and three draws placing them at the top of the table on 18 points.
Last time out, the Black and Gold came from behind to beat Western Conference side St Louis City 2-1 on the road thanks to goals from Steven Moreira and Diego Rossi, though Nancy will be keen to tighten up at the back after his team conceded with just seven minutes on the clock.
Coming up against a fellow unbeaten club this weekend, the hosts will need to be at their best if they are to take all three points, and they could draw confidence from the fact that they have won three and drawn two of their home matches this year, most recently earning victory over Montreal on April 6.
That being said, considering that Inter are just three points behind the Crew in their conference, Nancy will be keen to avoid defeat, even if it gives second-placed Charlotte and third-placed Cincinnati the chance to overtake them by the next matchday.
Should Columbus win their fourth consecutive MLS game on Saturday, then they could find themselves five points clear at the top of the tree, but losing would be enough for them to fall all the way down to fourth if results elsewhere were to go against them.
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Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano's Inter have gone seven games unbeaten at the start of their MLS campaign, but it is notable that they have only won four while drawing three.
Most recently, the Herons followed up a 1-1 stalemate with Toronto by dropping two points away to Chicago Fire, and the manager will be concerned that their opponents had more than twice as many efforts on goal despite the 0-0 scoreline.
Those back-to-back draws have left Mascherano's side fourth in the table with 15 points, though with a game in hand on all of the teams above them, they will be expecting to climb the ranks as the season progresses.
However, given that Saturday's visitors have failed to win either of their last two on the road - losing 1-0 to Los Angeles FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup and drawing with the Fire - fans would be forgiven for being anxious about their trip to Huntington Bank Field.
If Inter can earn their first away win in over a month, then they could climb to the top of the Eastern Conference should Charlotte and Cincinnati fail to win, but defeat could see them fall down into the playoff spots in a worst-case scenario.
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Team News
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The Crew are expected to be without long-term absentees Rudy Camacho and Nicholas Hagen this weekend, so a back three of Steven Moreira, Sean Zawadzki should start in front of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
In attack, left-flankman Lassi Lappalainen is also likely to miss out on Saturday, and Nancy may turn to wing-backs Maximilian Arfsten and Mohamed Farsi to provide width, while striker Jacen Russell-Rowe is backed up by Diego Rossi and Ariel Jackson.
As for Inter, Mascherano has a fit squad to choose from, so talisman Lionel Messi should be joined up top by Luis Suarez and Telasco Segovia, with full-backs Gonzalo Lujan and Noah Allen offering overlapping runs.
In the centre of the park, the veteran Sergio Busquets will be joined once again by young midfielders Federico Redondo and Benjamin Cremaschi.
Columbus Crew possible starting lineup:
Schulte; Moreira, Zawadzki, Amundsen; Farsi, Nagbe, Chambost, Arfsten; Rossi, Jackson; Russell-Rowe
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Ustari; Lujan, Aviles, Falcon, Allen; Cremaschi, Busquets, Redondo; Messi, Suarez, Segovia
We say: Columbus Crew 2-1 Inter Miami
Both of these teams are unbeaten in the Eastern Conference this year, and with top spot up for grabs, expect a close-fought contest.
That being said, the Crew have been strong at home while Inter have not won either of their last two on the road, so the hosts could come out marginal winners on Saturday.
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