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

The next Columbus Crew match sees them host CF Montreal in the Major League Soccer regular season. This Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal clash is scheduled for 19 August 2026 with kick-off at 23:30 UTC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus. With both sides in the lower half of the Eastern Conference standings, points here could be crucial in shaping the rest of their 2026 campaign.

This Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal preview focuses on a matchup between the team currently 11th in the Eastern Conference and a Montreal side sitting 14th. Columbus will look to use home advantage to pull further clear of their visitors, while CF Montreal are aiming to close a small gap in the table and improve a difficult away record. The fixture status is listed as Not Started, with the game yet to get underway.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 20
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-19T23:30:00Z
  • Venue: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus
  • Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

Columbus Crew come into this game ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference with 20 points from 19 matches. Their overall record stands at 5 wins, 5 draws and 9 losses, with 27 goals scored and 31 conceded, giving a goal difference of -4. At home, Columbus have been more solid: from 9 home games they have 4 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats, scoring 12 and conceding 9. Away from home they have struggled, with 1 win, 3 draws and 6 losses (15 for, 22 against). Their recent league form is mixed, shown by the sequence LDWLW, suggesting inconsistency but some capacity to respond after setbacks.

CF Montreal sit 14th in the Eastern Conference, having collected 17 points from their 19 matches. Their record reads 4 wins, 5 draws and 10 losses, with 25 goals scored and 36 conceded, for a goal difference of -11. At home they have been more competitive (10 played: 3 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses, 13 for, 11 against), but their away form is a concern: in 9 away fixtures they have managed just 1 win, 1 draw and 7 defeats, scoring 12 and conceding 25. Their latest form string of DDLLD underlines a recent run without a win, with draws punctuated by back-to-back losses.

Looking at additional season statistics, Columbus have recorded 3 clean sheets, all at home, and have failed to score 3 times in total. CF Montreal have kept 4 clean sheets (3 at home, 1 away) but have failed to score in 7 matches, highlighting some attacking inconsistency, especially on the road. From the spot, Columbus have taken 4 penalties, scoring 3, while CF Montreal have been perfect from 6 penalties scored out of 6. In terms of discipline, both sides pick up a steady flow of yellow cards across matches, with Montreal also recording a couple of reds in specific time ranges.

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 series of tight encounters, with draws and narrow wins a recurring theme. Columbus Crew have often edged the home fixtures by a single goal, while CF Montreal have had some success in Montreal but have also suffered high-scoring defeats. Several matches have finished level, including goalless and score-draw results, underlining how competitive this pairing has been over recent seasons.

Team news & absences

Both sides have notable absentees heading into this Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal match, which could influence tactical choices and squad depth.

Columbus Crew injuries: W. Abou Ali (Knee Injury), S. Bangoura (Ankle Injury) and J. Thiare (Leg Injury) are all listed as Missing Fixture for this game.

CF Montreal injuries: F. Amaya (Lower-Body Injury), W. Carmona (Knee Injury), B. Hidalgo (Groin Injury) and E. Morales (Toe Injury) are all ruled out as Missing Fixture, while A. Sanchez is also unavailable, listed as Inactive.

Key players to watch

  • P. Owusu (CF Montreal) — A standout attacker with 11 goals and 6 assists in the 2026 MLS season, Owusu’s output and penalty threat (5 penalties scored) make him a central figure in Montreal’s hopes of getting a result on the road.

Prediction

The data-driven Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal prediction leans towards the home side avoiding defeat. The model’s advice is: “Double chance : Columbus Crew or draw”, with outcome probabilities set at 45% home win, 45% draw and just 10% away win. That reflects Columbus Crew’s stronger home record and CF Montreal’s difficulties away from home, despite Montreal possessing a prolific forward in P. Owusu.

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