Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal
CF Montreal stuns Columbus Crew with a 2-1 win
Montreal's early strike and late clincher seal a surprise victory on the road
CF Montreal took an early lead through P. Owusu's goal in the 5th minute and extended their advantage late in the game with N. Streit's strike at 78'. Columbus Crew's hopes were dented by an own goal from T. Gillier in the 20th minute, contributing to their narrow defeat. This result defied Fipster's high-confidence prediction of a Columbus win, marking a notable upset in Major League Soccer.
Outcome probability
As the regular season rolls on, Columbus Crew and CF Montreal prepare to face off in what promises to be an entertaining encounter. Both teams have key players in form, but the home side looks poised to take the honours this time around.
Match factors
Columbus' attacking trio in form
D. Rossi and W. Abou Ali lead Columbus' attack with strong scoring rates, likely to exploit Montreal's defense
Montreal's top scorer Owusu is a dual threat
P. Owusu leads Montreal in goals and assists, providing both scoring and creative threat
Arfsten's dual role boosts Columbus
M. Arfsten contributes significantly in goals and assists from midfield/defense, enhancing team attack
No confirmed absences for either team
Both teams have full squads available, ensuring strongest lineups and tactical options
The context
This fixture is part of the 2026 regular season, round 20. Columbus Crew have been solid at home, while CF Montreal rely heavily on their top scorer P. Owusu, who leads both goals and assists for his side. Both teams have full squads available, so expect a tactical battle with no excuses for missing stars.
Key insights
D. Rossi
Columbus Crew
Top scorer for Columbus with 6 goals, showing strong home scoring form and key to their attack.
Major League Soccer 26/276 goals in 15 appearances, 0.4 goals/game
P. Owusu
CF Montreal
Leading scorer and assister for Montreal, providing both goal threat and creativity.
Major League Soccer 26/2710 goals and 6 assists in 17 appearances
M. Arfsten
Columbus Crew
Contributes significantly in both goals and assists from midfield/defense, boosting Columbus' attack.
Major League Soccer 26/274 assists in 17 appearances, 0.24 assists/game
Analysis
Columbus Crew's attacking trio, led by D. Rossi and W. Abou Ali, have been in good form, with Rossi netting six goals in 15 appearances and showing strong home scoring prowess. Meanwhile, Montreal's P. Owusu is a dual threat with 10 goals and 6 assists, but the Crew's defensive organisation and midfield support, including M. Arfsten's contributions, should help contain him. The predicted halftime score of 1-0 suggests Columbus will start strong and build on their advantage to secure a 3-1 fulltime result.
Key facts
- 1.Columbus Crew have a strong home scoring record this season.
- 2.D. Rossi leads Columbus with 6 goals in 15 appearances.
- 3.P. Owusu is Montreal's top scorer with 10 goals and 6 assists.
- 4.Predicted halftime score is 1-0 in favour of Columbus Crew.
- 5.Fulltime predicted score is 3-1 to Columbus Crew.
- 6.Estimated total cards in the match is 4.
- 7.Both teams have full squads available with no confirmed absences.
Prediction
We expect Columbus Crew to take the lead by halftime, holding a 1-0 advantage. Their attacking efficiency and home form should see them extend the lead, finishing the match 3-1. The game is also likely to be competitive in terms of discipline, with an estimated four cards shown.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Columbus Crew
Away — CF Montreal
The verdict
In summary, Columbus Crew's home advantage and attacking form make them favourites to win comfortably against CF Montreal. Key players like D. Rossi and M. Arfsten will be crucial in breaking down Montreal's defence, while P. Owusu will need to be at his best to keep his side in the game.
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Camacho
Yellow Card
Owusu
Assist: Synchuk
Vera
Yellow Card
Camacho
Gillier (OG)
André Gomes
Yellow Card
Neal
Yellow Card
Synchuk
Farsi
Unknown
Herbers
Neal
Ceballos
Yellow Card
Goal
Assist: Vera
Unknown
Owusu
Habroune
Chambost
Longstaff
Yellow Card
Match Statistics
Columbus Crew
4-4-2Starting XI
- 4R. CamachoD
- 7D. ChambostM
- 10Brais MéndezF
- 16T. HabrouneM
- 18M. AmundsenD
- 20André GomesM
- 23M. FarsiM
- 25S. ZawadzkiD
- 28P. SchulteG
- 31S. MoreiraD
- 46Chase AdamsF
Substitutes
- 1N. HagenG
- 2M. HerreraD
- 8D. GazdagM
- 11B. LennonD
- 12Cesar RuvalcabaD
- 14A. SejdićM
- 26L. GiacconeM
- 50T. KarumanchiM
- 77Josef MartínezF
CF Montreal
4-3-3Starting XI
- 2J. NealD
- 4B. VeraD
- 7D. PereiraM
- 8M. LongstaffM
- 9P. OwusuF
- 13L. PetrassoD
- 18H. SynchukF
- 21F. HerbersM
- 23N. StreitF
- 27D. BugajD
- 31T. GillierG
Substitutes
- 1S. BrezaG
- 3B. CeballosD
- 5B. CraigD
- 6S. PietteM
- 10A. SánchezF
- 14D. RíosF
- 22V. LoturiM
- 29O. EscobarF
- 35Owen Graham-RoacheF
Columbus Crew
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Schulte | G | 77 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dylan Chambost | M | 77 | 7.2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| Sean Zawadzki(C) | D | 77 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Chase Adams | F | 56 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Taha Habroune | M | 77 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |
| André Gomes | M | 77 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Mohamed Farsi | M | 56 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Brais Méndez | F | 77 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Rudy Camacho | D | 14 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Steven Moreira | D | 77 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Malte Amundsen | D | 77 | 5.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/3 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Dániel Gazdag | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Amar Sejdic | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brooks Lennon | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nicholas Hagen | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lautaro Giaccone | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tarun Karumanchi | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cesar Ruvalcaba | D | 63 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Josef Martínez | F | 21 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Andres Herrera | D | 21 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
CF Montreal
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Owusu(C) | F | 77 | 7.7 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0/1 |
| Daniel Pereira | M | 77 | 7.3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3/3 |
| Hennadii Synchuk | F | 56 | 7.2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/1 |
| Dawid Bugaj | D | 77 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Fabian Herbers | M | 68 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Brayan Vera | D | 77 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Luca Petrasso | D | 77 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/3 |
| Noah Streit | F | 77 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2/2 |
| Matthew Longstaff | M | 77 | 6.6 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| Thomas Gillier | G | 77 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jalen Neal | D | 68 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Owen Graham-Roache | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alexis Sánchez | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Samuel Piette | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sebastian Breza | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daniel Rios | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Olger Escobar | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Victor Loturi | M | 21 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brayan Ceballos | D | 9 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brandan Craig | D | 9 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |