Our prediction for this MLS match:
Montreal play host to Nashville at their Saputo Stadium on Sunday morning. Montreal aim to build on the Canadian derby win over Toronto, but they will have to do it without Tabla and Lappalainen. The Canadian outfit are undefeated in the previous four league fixtures, which is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of the visit of Nashville. The visitors, on the other hand, head into the match with a severely-weakened squad.
All Zimmerman, Johnston, Leal, and Godoy have yet to return from international duties, while Bwana is out of contention through injury. Since experienced midfielder Dax McCarty is banned for the match, we believe that there is a big value in betting on the home team. You should bear in mind that in their last meeting in the Major League Soccer the two teams played out a 1-1 draw.
Highlighted Player (Jukka Raitala):
Columbus Crew full back Jukka Raitala was born in Kerava, Finland on September 15, 1988. Raitala started his senior career at Klubi-04 and after making 22 league appearances for the club, he moved to HJK in 2007. After ending his spell with Helsinki, the Finland international signed a loan deal with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
During his spell with die Kraichgauer he appeared for the reserve team as well and in 2011 he was loaned again, this time out to Osasuna. On August 28, 2011 he made his Primera Division debut with los Rojillos playing as a left back against Atletico Madrid. Raitala played for the likes of Heerenveen, FC Vestsjaelland, Aalborg and Sogndal in the past as well he signed for Columbus Crew for the 2017 season.
The Columbus defender made his Finland debut on February 4, 2009 in a friendly against Japan. It has to be noted that he represented Finland at the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in 2009.
Highlighted Team (Nashville):
Nashville is one of the newer additions to the Major League Soccer, with the team being founded on December 20, 2017. The Yellows made their MLS debut on February 29, 2020, with the team taking on Atlanta United at their Nissan Stadium.
The match was played in front of 59,069 spectators, with Nashville suffering a 2-1 defeat. Nissan Stadium was opened on August 27, 1999, and it can hold up to 69,143 people. Nashville recorded their first MLS triumph on August 13, 2020, with the team beating Dallas on the road. The match was played behind closed doors due to the fierce of coronavirus spread.
Ghana international David Accam scored the only goal of the match. The club’s primary colours are electric gold and acoustic blue, with the club’s crest being a gold octagon with monogram “N”. Nashville footballers wear yellow shirts and yellow shorts when playing at home, while blue is the dominant colour of their away jersey.