Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire
Nashville SC cruise to a commanding win
Surridge, Espinoza, and Mukhtar each find the net as Nashville shut out Chicago Fire.
Nashville SC delivered a dominant performance with a 3-0 victory over Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. S. Surridge opened the scoring in the first half, setting the tone before C. Espinoza and H. Mukhtar added second-half goals to seal the win. Fipster's prediction of a home win was spot on, though the actual scoreline was even more convincing than the forecasted 3-1.
Outcome probability
Nashville SC and Chicago Fire face off in this MLS regular season clash, with Nashville showing strong form and a potent attack that could prove decisive.
Match factors
Nashville SC's potent home attack
Nashville SC averages 3 goals per home game, with key attackers Surridge and Mukhtar in strong scoring form at home
Surridge's superior scoring rate
Samuel Surridge's 13 goals in 18 games (0.72 per game) surpass league average attacker scoring rates, boosting Nashville's attack
Chicago Fire's scoring streak despite defensive issues
Chicago Fire has scored in last 5 matches but concedes frequently, suggesting an open game favoring Nashville's attackers
Mukhtar's dual threat as scorer and assister
Hany Mukhtar contributes both goals (10) and assists (6), making him a key playmaker and finisher for Nashville SC
Lewandowski's impact for Chicago Fire
Robert Lewandowski's recent 3 goals in last 5 games and assist potential make him Chicago's main offensive threat
The context
This match is part of the 2026 MLS regular season, round 26. Nashville SC currently lead the league standings with a strong goal difference, while Chicago Fire have been scoring regularly but struggle defensively. Their head-to-head history favours Nashville, who have won six of their last ten encounters.
Key insights
Samuel Surridge
Nashville SC
Leads Nashville SC scoring with 13 goals, well above league average for attackers, and has strong recent form with 3 goals in last 5 matches.
Major League Soccer 26/2713 goals in 18 appearances, 0.72 goals/game
Hany Mukhtar
Nashville SC
Key playmaker and captain, contributing both goals (10) and assists (6), with excellent home scoring and assist rates.
Major League Soccer 26/2710 goals and 6 assists in 24 appearances
Hugo Cuypers
Chicago Fire
Primary goal threat with 13 goals in 11 games but has not scored in the last 5 matches, indicating a dip in form.
Major League Soccer 26/2713 goals in 11 appearances, 1.18 goals/game
Robert Lewandowski
Chicago Fire
Recent form includes 3 goals in last 5 games, providing a key offensive threat for Chicago Fire.
Major League Soccer 26/276 goals in 9 appearances, 0.67 goals/game
Analysis
Nashville SC's attacking duo, Samuel Surridge and Hany Mukhtar, have been in excellent form, especially at home. Surridge boasts 13 goals in 18 games, with a strong recent run, while Mukhtar contributes both goals and assists, making him a dual threat. Chicago Fire's Hugo Cuypers is a prolific scorer but has lacked recent goals, and Robert Lewandowski offers some offensive spark. The average goals in their head-to-head matches is 2.8, supporting a higher scoring game. Nashville's home scoring average of three goals per game and their superior head-to-head record suggest they will control the match.
Key facts
- 1.Nashville SC have won 6 of the last 10 meetings against Chicago Fire.
- 2.Average goals in head-to-head matches stand at 2.8, indicating open play.
- 3.Nashville SC lead the league standings with a strong goal difference.
- 4.Samuel Surridge has scored 13 goals in 18 appearances this season.
- 5.Hany Mukhtar contributes both goals (10) and assists (6) for Nashville SC.
- 6.Chicago Fire's Hugo Cuypers has 13 goals in 11 games but no goals in the last 5 matches.
- 7.Robert Lewandowski has scored 6 goals in 9 appearances, including 3 in the last 5 games.
- 8.Nashville SC average 3 goals per home game this season.
Prediction
We predict Nashville SC to take an early lead and maintain control, with a halftime score of 2-1. The fulltime result is expected to be 3-1 in favour of Nashville, reflecting their attacking strength and home advantage. The match is likely to see around four cards, indicating a competitive but not overly aggressive encounter.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Nashville SC
Away — Chicago Fire
The verdict
Nashville SC's combination of form, home advantage, and attacking firepower should see them comfortably overcome Chicago Fire. Expect a lively game with goals and some competitive moments, but ultimately a clear win for Nashville.
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
Surridge
Assist: Baker-Whiting
Mukhtar
Yellow Card
Elliott
Yellow Card
Haile-Selassie
Lod
Saad
Oregel
Espinoza
Assist: Najar
Dean
D'Avilla
Najar
Yazbek
Mukhtar
Assist: Espinoza
Espinoza
Mukhtar
Match Statistics
Nashville SC
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 3M. WoledziD
- 4J. PalaciosD
- 7C. EspinozaM
- 8P. YazbekM
- 9S. SurridgeF
- 10H. MukhtarM
- 11E. SaadM
- 16M. CorcoranM
- 27R. Baker-WhitingD
- 31A. NajarD
- 99B. SchwakeG
Substitutes
- 1J. WillisG
- 2D. LovitzD
- 5J. MaherD
- 6B. AcostaM
- 14S. MohammedM
- 19A. MuylM
- 20E. TagsethM
- 22J. BauerD
- 37A. QasemF
Chicago Fire
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 1C. BradyG
- 3J. ElliottD
- 7M. Haile-SelassieM
- 9R. LewandowskiF
- 11P. ZinckernagelM
- 15A. GutmanD
- 17R. LodM
- 24J. DeanD
- 32N. AllenD
- 35S. OregelM
- 42T. D'AvillaM
Substitutes
- 2Leonardo BarrosoD
- 5S. RogersD
- 12P. DithejaneF
- 18J. GómezF
- 19J. BambaF
- 22M. PinedaD
- 23A. MekvabishviliM
- 29D. PorębaM
- 44J. CohenG
Nashville SC
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristian Espinoza | M | 91 | 8.6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — |
| Reed Baker-Whiting | D | 93 | 8.0 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| Jeisson Palacios | D | 93 | 7.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hany Mukhtar(C) | M | 91 | 7.7 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| Andy Najar | D | 83 | 7.7 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1/2 |
| Sam Surridge | F | 93 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0/1 |
| Elias Saad | M | 68 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| Matthew Corcoran | M | 93 | 7.3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — |
| Patrick Yazbek | M | 83 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maxwell Woledzi | D | 93 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Brian Schwake | G | 93 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Joe Willis | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bryan Acosta | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Josh Bauer | D | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ahmed Qasem | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jack Maher | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alex Muyl | M | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shakur Mohammed | M | 25 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Edvard Tagseth | M | 10 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daniel Lovitz | D | 10 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Chicago Fire
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Brady | G | 93 | 7.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sergio Oregel | M | 75 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/2 |
| Noah Allen | D | 93 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Robin Lod | M | 68 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/1 |
| Dje Tah D'Avilla | M | 79 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Philip Zinckernagel | M | 93 | 6.3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/3 |
| Jack Elliott(C) | D | 93 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Maren Haile-Selassie | M | 68 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Jonathan Dean | D | 79 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| Robert Lewandowski | F | 93 | 6.0 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3/4 |
| Andrew Gutman | D | 93 | 5.6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Josh Cohen | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Samuel Rogers | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| David Poreba | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leonardo Barroso | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puso Dithejane | F | 25 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0/2 |
| Jonathan Bamba | F | 25 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mauricio Pineda | D | 14 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Anzor Mekvabishvili | M | 18 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Johan Gomez | F | 14 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Prediction Q&A
- Who did Fipster predict to win Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire?
- Fipster's AI model predicted Nashville SC to win against Chicago Fire.
- What score did Fipster predict for Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire?
- Fipster predicted a final score of Nashville SC 3–1 Chicago Fire.
- What were the win probabilities for Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire?
- Fipster's model gave Nashville SC a 87% chance of winning, Chicago Fire a 6% chance, and a 7% chance of a draw.
- How confident was Fipster in this prediction?
- Fipster's model assigned this prediction 87% confidence — a high-confidence call.