Basement club Sporting Kansas City will be looking to turn their fortunes around when they travel to the Saputo Stadium to face CF Montreal on Saturday night.
The hosts have won six of their last eight matches across all competitions on home soil, while the visitors have won only one of their last 12 games on the road.
Match preview
After back-to-back 2-1 victories against Charlotte FC and Seattle Sounders, Montreal were brought back down to earth with a heavy 4-0 defeat away against LA Galaxy on Tuesday.
Goals from Rayan Raveloson (2), Javier Hernandez and Dejan Joveljic condemned the Canadian side to their joint-heaviest defeat in 2022 and their seventh in MLS history by a margin of at least a four goals.
Despite dominating the game with 62% possession, head coach Wilfried Nancy will have plenty to ponder following such a heavy defeat, but his side still remain in a respectable third position in the Eastern Conference, three points behind league leaders New York Red Bulls with a game in hand.
After scoring in 14 consecutive matches across all competitions between the middle of March and the end of May, Montreal have since failed to find the net in three of their last five matches, conceding 11 goals in the process.
Montreal will be keen to forget the last time that they faced Sporting Kansas City, as they were thumped 7-1 away from home in March 2019.
Sporting Kansas City head into Sunday's contest after enduring a disappointing run of form, losing four of their last five MLS matches.
Monday's narrow 1-0 loss at home to 10-man New York Red Bulls was their 11th league defeat of the season and leaves them sitting at the foot of the overall MLS standings with only 16 points from 19 matches.
In stark contrast, the Wizards were 21 points better off at this stage of last season and were sitting at the top of the Western Conference before going on to finish the campaign in third.
While there are 15 games of the regular season still to play, their chances of another top-three finish seems slim as they are currently 10 points behind Seattle Sounders in seventh who occupy the final playoff spot.
Peter Vermes's side will be desperate to return to winning ways on Sunday and they will be confident of success as they have lost only one of their last eight MLS games against Montreal, winning five times and drawing twice.
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Team News
Montreal midfielder Tomas Giraldo is set to miss the rest of this month with a hamstring injury, while Djordje Mihailovic and Bjorn Johnsen are ruled out with respective ankle and foot problems.
The absence of Mihailovic – who has recorded seven goals and three assists in 14 games this season – will likely see Joaquin Torres continue in the number 10 role behind strikers Romell Quioto and Kei Kamara.
Former Tottenham Hotspur man Victor Wanyama is set to be joined in centre-midfield by either Ismael Kone or Samuel Piette, while Alistair Johnston, Rudy Camacho and Joel Waterman are expected to retain their places at centre-back.
As for Sporting Kansas City, Gadi Kinda and Alan Pulido are both ruled out after undergoing surgery on long-term knee injuries, while Ozzie Cisneros (hamstring) Nikola Vujnovic (calf) and Kortne Ford (concussion) are also unavailable for selection.
Right-back Graham Zusi missed Tuesday's defeat due to a thigh problem and he is currently doubtful for this weekend's game, so teenager Kayden Pierre could retain his place on the right side of the back four.
Scotsman Johnny Russell and Hungarian Daniel Salloi, who have scored nine goals between them so far this season, are set to continue on the flanks, supporting central striker Khiry Shelton.
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Breza; Johnston, Camacho, Waterman; Brault-Guillard, Piette, Wanyama, Lappalainen; Torres; Quioto, Kamara
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Melia; Pierre, Fontas, Isimat-Mirin, Ndenbe; Duke, Walter, Hernandez; Russell, Shelton, Salloi
We say: CF Montreal 2-1 Sporting Kansas City
Both sides will be keen to return to winning ways after suffering defeat last time out, with Sporting Kansas City in particular looking to end their miserable run of form and climb the table.
Despite their recent head-to-head record against the visitors, Montreal will be viewed as the favourites on Sunday and should have enough quality in their side to claim maximum points.
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