Columbus Crew vs Chicago Fire
Match recap
Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire drew 0–0 in their Major League Soccer fixture. Expected-goals data put the chance balance at 1.17 for Columbus Crew versus 0.62 for Chicago Fire.
Fipster’s pre-match call
Predicted
3-1 Columbus Crew win
Actual
0–0
Outcome probability
The upcoming MLS regular season match between Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire promises an entertaining clash, with both sides boasting key attacking talents. Columbus Crew look poised to leverage their home advantage and midfield creativity to edge out Chicago Fire.
Match factors
Columbus Crew's attacking midfield strength
Maximilian Arfsten and Taha Habroune provide creative support and goal threat behind striker Diego Rossi
Hugo Cuypers' prolific scoring form
Cuypers leads Chicago Fire with 13 goals in 11 games, a significant threat despite predicted loss
Columbus Crew's recent scoring streak at home
Crew have scored in 4 of last 5 home games, supporting predicted 3 goals
Philip Zinckernagel's creative influence for Chicago Fire
Top assister with 8 assists, key in linking play and set-pieces
No confirmed injuries for either team
Full squad availability allows both teams to field strongest lineups
The context
This is the third round of the MLS regular season, with Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire both eager to build momentum early on. Historically, Columbus Crew have had the upper hand in their head-to-head meetings, and both teams have shown goal-scoring capabilities that suggest an open game.
Key insights
Maximilian Arfsten
Columbus Crew
Arfsten's dual threat as a goal scorer and playmaker is crucial to Columbus Crew's attacking strategy, providing both goals and assists from midfield.
Major League Soccer 26/274 goals and 4 assists in 17 appearances this season.
Hugo Cuypers
Chicago Fire
Cuypers' prolific scoring form makes him a constant threat, though his efforts may not be enough to overcome Columbus Crew's home advantage.
Major League Soccer 26/2713 goals in 11 appearances this season.
Diego Rossi
Columbus Crew
Rossi's consistent goal scoring and role as the focal point of attack make him a key player for Columbus Crew's predicted victory.
Major League Soccer 26/276 goals in 15 appearances, 0.4 goals per game.
Philip Frigast Zinckernagel
Chicago Fire
Zinckernagel's creativity and set-piece delivery are vital for Chicago Fire's attacking chances, leading the team with 8 assists.
Major League Soccer 26/278 assists in 26 appearances this season.
Analysis
Columbus Crew's attacking midfield duo, Maximilian Arfsten and Taha Habroune, provide excellent creative support behind striker Diego Rossi, who has been a consistent goal threat with 6 goals in 15 appearances. Chicago Fire rely heavily on Hugo Cuypers, their prolific striker with 13 goals in 11 games, and creative midfielder Philip Zinckernagel, who leads with 8 assists. Despite Chicago's firepower, Columbus Crew's recent scoring streak at home and balanced midfield presence give them the tactical edge.
Key facts
- 1.Columbus Crew have won 10 of 20 head-to-head matches against Chicago Fire, who have won 3, with 7 draws.
- 2.Head-to-head matches between these teams average 2.6 goals per game.
- 3.Diego Rossi is Columbus Crew's top scorer with 6 goals in 15 appearances this season.
- 4.Hugo Cuypers leads Chicago Fire with 13 goals in 11 games, a remarkable scoring rate.
- 5.Maximilian Arfsten has contributed 4 goals and 4 assists, key to Columbus Crew's midfield creativity.
- 6.Philip Zinckernagel tops Chicago Fire's assists chart with 8 this season.
- 7.Columbus Crew have scored in 4 of their last 5 home games, showing strong attacking form.
Prediction
We predict Columbus Crew will take an early lead by halftime, going 1-0 up, and extend their advantage to a 3-1 victory by fulltime. The match is expected to feature around four cards, reflecting a competitive but controlled encounter.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Columbus Crew
Away — Chicago Fire
The verdict
Columbus Crew's blend of attacking flair and midfield creativity should prove decisive against Chicago Fire. Fans can expect an engaging match with goals and tactical battles, ultimately favouring the home side to secure a comfortable win.
Prediction generated 11 Oct 2026, 18:20 UTC · Fipster Model v1.163
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
Amundsen
Yellow Card
Leonardo Barroso
Pineda
Mueller
Waterman
Yellow Card
Sejdić
Zinckernagel
Yellow Card
Salétros
Yellow Card
Zawadzki
Yellow Card
Zinckernagel
Bamba
Yellow Card
Match Statistics
Columbus Crew
3-4-2-1Starting XI
- 2M. HerreraM
- 4R. CamachoD
- 9W. Abou AliF
- 10D. RossiF
- 14A. SejdićM
- 16T. HabrouneF
- 18M. AmundsenD
- 25S. ZawadzkiM
- 27M. ArfstenM
- 28P. SchulteG
- 31S. MoreiraD
Substitutes
- 1N. HagenG
- 8D. GazdagM
- 12Cesar RuvalcabaD
- 17S. BangouraM
- 19J. ThiaréF
- 21Y. CheberkoD
- 22Tristan BrownD
- 30H. PicardM
- 45Owen PresthusD
Chicago Fire
3-4-3Starting XI
- 1C. BradyG
- 2Leonardo BarrosoM
- 3J. ElliottD
- 4M. MbokaziD
- 6A. SalétrosM
- 7M. Haile-SelassieM
- 8C. MuellerF
- 11P. ZinckernagelF
- 16J. WatermanD
- 19J. BambaF
- 22M. PinedaM
Substitutes
- 12P. DithejaneD
- 14V. RadojevićD
- 17R. LodM
- 20Jason ShokalookF
- 27Dylan BorsoM
- 35S. OregelM
- 38Christopher CuppsD
- 42T. D'AvillaM
- 44J. CohenG
Columbus Crew
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taha Habroune | F | 90 | 7.7 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1/1 |
| Steven Moreira | D | 90 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Rudy Camacho | D | 90 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Patrick Schulte | G | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Amar Sejdic | M | 73 | 6.9 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0/2 |
| Malte Amundsen | D | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| Wessam Abou Ali | F | 90 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — |
| Marcelo Herrera | M | 90 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |
| Sean Zawadzki(C) | M | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diego Rossi | F | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
| Maximilian Arfsten | M | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3/4 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Dániel Gazdag | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cesar Ruvalcaba | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tristan Brown | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Owen Presthus | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sekou Tidiany Bangoura | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nicholas Hagen | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yevhen Cheberko | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jamal Thiaré | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hugo Picard | M | 17 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
Chicago Fire
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Brady | G | 90 | 8.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mbekezeli Mbokazi | D | 90 | 7.5 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| Maren Haile-Selassie | M | 90 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0/1 |
| Jack Elliott(C) | D | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Joel Waterman | D | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Anton Salétros | M | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jonathan Bamba | F | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2/4 |
| Mauricio Pineda | M | 55 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leonardo Barroso | M | 28 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chris Mueller | F | 55 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Philip Zinckernagel | F | 89 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Josh Cohen | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Viktor Radojević | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sergio Oregel | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puso Dithejane | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jason Shokalook | F | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Christopher Cupps | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dylan Borso | M | 62 | 7.3 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 0/1 |
| Dje Tah D'Avilla | M | 35 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Robin Lod | M | 35 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Prediction Q&A
- Who did Fipster predict to win Columbus Crew vs Chicago Fire?
- Fipster's AI model predicted Columbus Crew to win against Chicago Fire.
- What score did Fipster predict for Columbus Crew vs Chicago Fire?
- Fipster predicted a final score of Columbus Crew 3–1 Chicago Fire.
- What were the win probabilities for Columbus Crew vs Chicago Fire?
- Fipster's model gave Columbus Crew a 69% chance of winning, Chicago Fire a 15% chance, and a 16% chance of a draw.
- How confident was Fipster in this prediction?
- Fipster's model assigned this prediction 69% confidence — a high-confidence call.