Nashville SC vs. CF Montreal, Prediction, Preview and Odds - 4/24/21
CF Montreal will look to build on a huge win to open the season when it visits Nashville SC in the second game of the 2021 MLS season for both. Montreal pulled off a 4-2 upset of Canadian rival Toronto FC in its temporary home of Miami last Saturday to cash in as a big underdog at +204. Nashville played FC Cincinnati to a 2-2 home tie last weekend to kick off its second season in MLS, with the draw hitting at -131.
These teams met in late October last season, with Nashville winning 1-0 in a match that was relocated from Montreal to New York.
Nashville salvages a point in season opener
After a strong inaugural season in MLS that included a seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference and first-round playoff win over Toronto, Nashville’s 2021 campaign got off to a rocky start as last-place Cincinnati scored twice in the first 12 minutes of the match. Nashville got back into the game quickly on a 20th-minutegoal from Jhonder Cadiz with Randall Leal equalizing on a long-distance strike in the 64th, but couldn’t grab all three points despite dominating the run of play.
It was a one-sided match statistically, with Nashville holding 58% possession and recording 13 shots on target to Cincinnati’s two. Cincinnati goaltender PrzemysĹ‚aw TytoĹ„ turned in an incredible performance, while Nashville keeper Joe Willis committed a foul in the box and conceded a penalty on the 12th minute goal.
Scoring was an issue for Nashville last season at 1.04 goals per game, so the strong showing on offense in the 2021 opener is a promising sign. Nashville’s defense was excellent a year ago with 0.95 goals per game allowed, joining Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union and MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew as the only teams to concede less than once per match on average.
Reigning MLS Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman was a huge part of that defensive success while adding three goals, and played well last week as Nashville’s defense clamped down after the first 12 minutes. Midfielder Hany Mukhtar returns after leading the Nashville offense with four goals and three assists last season.
The designated player trio of Cadiz, Mukhtar and Leal made zero starts together in the 2020 regular season, so getting healthy campaigns from all three will be huge for Nashville in 2021. Reserves Daniel Rios (foot), Dominique Badji (groin) and Abu Danladi (hamstring) are all questionable for Saturday.
New-look Montreal earns impressive win to open the season
It was a busy offseason for Montreal that included a roster revamp, new coaching staff, and even a rebrand of the team name, but the changes paid off last weekend in an emphatic win in the Canadian Classique. Mason Toye scored three minutes into the game before Rommel Quioto added another tally in the 24th, and second-half goals by veteran Victor Wanyama off a corner and newcomer Djordje Mihailovic ended any hopes of a Toronto comeback.
Each team had 12 shots overall and split possession nearly evenly, with Montreal scoring four times on five shots on target. There were some defensive breakdowns including conceding a penalty just before half that Toronto converted, but otherwise it was a dream start for a club that has struggled over the past five years against a rival that has been a powerhouse in recent seasons.
Montreal was a solid offense a year ago at 1.43 goals per game and looks to be even better this season with a great young playmaker in Mihailovic in the fold. Many of the offseason moves were made to shore up a defense that was one of the worst in MLS at 1.87 goals per game allowed.
Quioto led the club with eight goals a season ago and looks to be picking up where he left off with a strong showing last weekend. Mihailovic was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Fire after putting up two goals and seven assists at the age of 21 last season. Wanyama, who spent seven seasons in the English Premier League, is halfway to matching last year’s goal total of two.
Bench midfielders Ballou Tabla (groin) and Lassi Lappalainen (shoulder) are both listed on the Montreal injury report as questionable for Saturday’s game.
Side: Nashville -1 (+125)
Total: Over 2.5 (-120)
Nashville was caught off guard by Cincinnati in the first 12 minutes of the season, but looked dominant for the rest of the match and has the talent to build on an impressive inaugural season. This will be a much tougher defensive opponent for Montreal than last week, and Nashville will be able to take advantage of what looks like a shaky back line for the Canadian side.
Any four-goal performance is impressive, but three of Montreal’s tallies came on defensive breakdowns as it was able to break the Toronto press and get a clear look on net. The much more sound Nashville back line, led by one of the league’s best defenders in Zimmerman plus a savvy veteran in Dax McCarty patrolling the midfield, won’t make those kinds of mistakes.
Montreal still had some defensive issues last week as the revamped unit has a lot of work to do chemistry wise, and Nashville has to be pretty happy with how the revamped offense performed in the opener. Nashville’s defense will bounce back from a rough performance last week, and the offense will take advantage of a week Montreal backline to win by multiple goals.
Overs for both teams comfortably hit on opening weekend, and as Montreal figures to be in a lot of high-scoring games this season, that trend will continue on Saturday. Mihailovic fills the role of creative playmaker that Montreal needed badly and is already fitting in well, while Quioto is always a threat to score against any defense.
Nashville’s offseason focused on improving the offense, and it already looks much stronger as it took the club 10 games to score multiple goals in a single match last season. Last week’s goal total would have been much higher if it weren’t for an outstanding goaltending performance by TytoĹ„ in the Cincinnati net, and they will roll against a Montreal defense that conceded twice against a severely shorthanded Toronto team.
