The Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati face off in the Hell is Real Derby on Sunday, July 17 at 7:30 PM ET at Lower.com Field in Columbus. The match will air on FS1 and Fox Deportes.

Both teams enter after 2-2 draws - Cincinnati against Vancouver and Columbus at D.C. United. FC Cincinnati sits in 6th place (27 points) while Columbus is tied for 7th (26 points) in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Recent Team Form:

Columbus Crew:

• New signing Cucho Hernandez scored twice off the bench vs D.C. United
• Captain Jonathan Mensah returns from suspension
• Scored 7 goals in last 4 matches
• Better road record (15 points) than home (11 points)
• +3 goal differential with 5 clean sheets

FC Cincinnati:

• Welcome back suspended midfielders Luciano Acosta and Allan Cruz
• Brandon Vazquez leads team with 10 goals
• Unbeaten in last 6 matches (3W, 3D)
• Better away record (15 points) than home
• Defense struggling with 35 goals allowed

Head-to-Head:

• Columbus leads all-time series 4-1-3 since 2019
• Last meeting: Columbus won 3-2 at home
• Recent matches have been high-scoring (12 goals in 3 games last year)

Betting Odds:

• Columbus Crew: -130
• FC Cincinnati: +300
• Draw: +265
• Over/Under 2.5 goals: -135/+105
• First Goal: Columbus -150, Cincinnati +140

Expect an intense rivalry match with goals likely, given both teams' recent defensive struggles and attacking talent on display.

Related Articles

Previous Articles