One of the biggest rivalries in Major League Soccer will be renewed on Saturday as New York City FC host the New York Red Bulls at Citi Field in the first Hudson River Derby of 2025.
These teams are currently holding down the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots, with the Pigeons ninth after a 0-0 draw with DC United and the Red Bulls just above them despite losing their previous match 2-1 at Nashville SC.
Match preview
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It was another rough one for Pascal Jansen's side in midweek as New York City failed to find the back of the net for a third successive time across all competitions.
They have failed to score five times in MLS this year and this weekend can go three or more consecutive league games without a goal for the first time since 2022 (four).
Saturday will be their third match of the regular season at Citi Field, with the Boys in Blue boasting a 100% record in Queens this year, without a single goal conceded thus far.
Their 13 goals scored in league play so far this season are the fewest among sides currently in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
After 13 matchdays in the competition this year, Jansen's side have collected 18 points, two fewer than they had at this same stage under Nick Cushing a season ago.
NYCFC are unbeaten in their last three regular-season home contests against the Red Bulls, beating them 2-1 in this competition at Citi Field last year.
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Game one of a three-game domestic road trip ended in disappointment for the reigning MLS Cup runners-up, with the Red Bulls suffering a second successive league defeat on the road.
A few days after clobbering the Los Angeles Galaxy 7-0, Sandro Schwarz's men only fired two efforts on target against Nashville and remain winless in MLS this year away from home.
While they have not been able to gather much momentum from one match to the next, the Red Bulls have not lost consecutive games in the 2025 regular season.
New York are a perfect 4-0 in league play this year when drawing first blood and have conceded just one goal in those four fixtures combined.
Some poor second halves have been their undoing away from home domestically in 2025, with this team being outscored by a combined margin of 5-1 on the road in the final 45 minutes as the visitors.
While they have won just one of their previous four competitive fixtures against New York City, the Red Bulls defeated the Pigeons 2-0 at Citi Field in the 2024 playoffs, scoring on two of their three targeted efforts.
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Team News
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As has been the case throughout the campaign, Malachi Jones missed another match for NYCFC on Wednesday due to a leg injury, Kevin O'Toole was sidelined for the same reason and Keaton Parks did not feature because of a foot issue.
Matt Freese faced just two DC United efforts in midweek, saving them both for his fifth clean sheet of the campaign and third in his previous four league fixtures.
On the other hand, Serge Ngoma and Marcelo Morales missed the Red Bulls match in Nashville with sore thighs, Dylan Nealis was sidelined with a hamstring strain, while Lewis Morgan and Roald Mitchell were recovering from knee issues.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored for the third time in his last two MLS affairs Wednesday, putting him up to seven goals in his first season with the club.
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Freese; Gray, Martins, Haak, Cavallo; O'Neill, Perea; Fernandez, Moralez, Wolf; Martinez
New York Red Bulls possible starting lineup:
Coronel; Harper, S. Nealis, Eile, Valencia; Stroud, Edelman; Bogacz, Forsberg, Sofo; Choupo-Moting
We say: New York City FC 2-0 New York Red Bulls
There is something about Citi Field that seems to bring out the best version of New York City, and we expect them to find a way through a Red Bulls side that lack structure and poise defensively away from home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
