Charlotte FC and Columbus Crew Battle for Eastern Conference Middle Ground

Bank of America Stadium hosts a direct showdown for Eastern Conference middle ground in MLS between Charlotte FC and Columbus Crew, two teams that need points to keep pace with the group above them in the Eastern table.

How the teams arrive

Charlotte FC sits in seventh place with 25 points, the product of 7 wins, 4 draws and 7 losses in 18 games played, with 29 goals scored and 27 conceded. Over their last five matches, the home side has racked up three wins and two losses, an uneven run but one with more highs than lows lately. Offensively, they average 1.998 goals per game and tend to do their damage late, with their most productive scoring stretch coming between the 76th and 90th minutes. Pep Biel is their top offensive threat with 9 goals, followed by Idan Toklomati (5) and Archie Goodwin (3).

Columbus Crew, meanwhile, sits in 11th place with 20 points, after 5 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses, with 26 goals scored and 28 allowed. Their recent form shows a notable uptick: three wins and two draws in their last five games, with no losses in that span. Their defense, however, has been their weak point, with a 0 percent clean sheet rate and an average of 2.12 goals conceded per game. Wessam Abou Ali is their top scorer with 5 goals, and the team tends to look dangerous right from the start, with their most productive attacking stretch coming between the 0 and 15 minute marks.

The gap between the two sides in the standings is just 5 points, confirming this as an even matchup between two teams from the middle of the Eastern table.

Head to head

The recent history between Charlotte FC and Columbus Crew shows eight matches played, with 3 wins for the home side, 3 draws and 2 wins for the visitors. On the scoring front, it's a dead heat: 14 goals scored by each side, a stat that underscores just how even this matchup has historically been.

Probable lineups

Charlotte FC could field, in an estimate with low reliability based on the pattern of their recent matches, Tyler Miller in goal; Nathan Byrne, Henry Kessler, Morrison Agyemang and Tim Ream (or David Schnegg) on defense; Ashley Westwood, Djibril Diani and Luca de la Torre in midfield; with Pep Biel and Liel Abada leading the attack.

Columbus Crew, also on a probable basis, would line up with Patrick Schulte between the posts; Rudy Camacho, Sean Zawadzki, Steven Moreira and Mohamed Farsi across the back line; Taha Habroune, Tarun Karumanchi, Malte Amundsen and André Gomes in midfield; with Dániel Gazdag and Dylan Chambost up top.

Odds and match analysis

According to this in-house projection, Charlotte FC starts as the 53% favorite, though a draw (24%) and an away win (23%) keep the match far from decided ahead of time. This isn't meant as a hard prediction or a betting line, but rather a read based on the season's trends. The combined expected goals figure of 3.39, along with a 79 percent chance the match goes over 2.5 goals and a 71 percent chance both teams find the net, points to an open game with scoring chances for both sides.

With Charlotte looking to cash in on its late-game punch and a Columbus Crew side riding better form but carrying a shaky defense, Bank of America Stadium is set up for a back and forth battle in the fight for the top of the Eastern table.