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Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal match preview: date, venue & predictions

The next Columbus Crew match in the 2026 Major League Soccer season sees them host CF Montreal at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus. This Eastern Conference clash is scheduled for 19 August 2026, with kick-off at 23:30 UTC. With both sides looking to climb the conference standings, this Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal preview focuses on form, head-to-head record, team news and prediction.

Columbus come into this Regular Season - 20 fixture sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference, while Montreal are 14th. With just three points separating the teams, fans wondering when Columbus Crew play next will know this home date offers a key opportunity to create daylight between themselves and a direct rival in the lower half of the conference.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 20
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-19 23:30 UTC
  • Venue: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus
  • Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

Columbus Crew are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference with 20 points from 19 matches. Their record stands at 5 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats, with 27 goals scored and 31 conceded, giving a goal difference of -4. At home they have played 9 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 3, with 12 goals for and 9 against. Away from home they have 1 win, 3 draws and 6 losses (15 goals for, 22 against). Their recent league form is mixed, shown by the sequence LDWLW.

CF Montreal sit 14th in the Eastern Conference on 17 points after 19 games. Their overall record is 4 wins, 5 draws and 10 losses, scoring 25 goals and conceding 36, for a goal difference of -11. At home they have played 10 times (3 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses; 13 goals for, 11 against), but their away form has been a concern: 9 matches on the road have yielded 1 win, 1 draw and 7 defeats, with 12 goals scored and 25 conceded. Their current form line reads DDLLD, underlining a struggle to turn performances into victories.

From the wider season statistics, Columbus have kept 3 clean sheets so far, all at home, and have failed to score in 3 matches. CF Montreal have recorded 4 clean sheets (3 at home, 1 away) but have failed to find the net in 7 games, including 4 away from home. From the spot, Columbus have taken 4 penalties, scoring 3, while Montreal have converted all 6 of their penalties this season.

Head-to-head

  • 2025-05-14: CF Montreal 1–1 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-04-05: Columbus Crew 2–1 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-05-15: CF Montreal 1–3 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-04-27: Columbus Crew 0–0 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer)
  • 2023-10-22: Columbus Crew 2–1 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer)
  • 2023-09-02: CF Montreal 2–4 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-09-09: CF Montreal 2–2 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-08-03: Columbus Crew 1–2 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer)
  • 2021-09-25: Columbus Crew 2–1 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer)
  • 2021-05-01: CF Montreal 0–0 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head record shows a generally positive trend for Columbus Crew in recent seasons, especially at home. They have beaten CF Montreal 2–1 in Columbus in both 2023 and 2025, and also claimed a 4–2 away win in 2023 and a 3–1 success in Montreal in 2024. Montreal’s standout result in this sequence was a 2–1 away victory in Columbus in August 2022, while several draws – including 0–0 in Columbus in 2024 and 1–1 in Montreal in 2025 – underline how competitive this fixture can be.

Team news & absences

Columbus Crew will be without several players for this fixture. W. Abou Ali misses out with a Knee Injury, S. Bangoura is sidelined by an Ankle Injury, and J. Thiare is unavailable due to a Leg Injury.

CF Montreal also have a lengthy absentee list. F. Amaya is ruled out with a Lower-Body Injury, while W. Carmona has a Knee Injury. B. Hidalgo is sidelined by a Groin Injury, and E. Morales is out with a Toe Injury. In addition, A. Sanchez is listed as Inactive for this match.

Key players to watch

  • P. Owusu (CF Montreal) — 11 goals and 6 assists in Major League Soccer 2026 underline his importance as Montreal’s attacking focal point and a major threat in this Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal clash.

Prediction

The prediction model leans towards the hosts, with outcome percentages of 45% home win, 45% draw and 10% away win. The advice for this Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal prediction is a “Double chance: Columbus Crew or draw”, reflecting Columbus’ stronger comparative form and Montreal’s difficulties on the road, even though a tight contest remains possible.

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