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New York City FC welcome Chicago Fire to Yankee Stadium on Sunday as two Eastern Conference playoff contenders look to strengthen their positions after returning from the FIFA World Cup break.
The hosts ended a difficult spell with an impressive away victory over Columbus Crew, while Chicago will be eager to respond after seeing their three-match winning run snapped by Inter Miami.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
New York City vs Chicago Fire key stats
- Both teams have scored in New York City’s last three MLS games.
- Both teams have scored in six of Chicago Fire’s last seven matches across all competitions.
- New York City FC are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Chicago Fire across all competitions.
- Both have scored and there have been four goals in each of the last three meetings between these teams.
New York City vs Chicago Fire preview: Home advantage could prove decisive
New York City vs Chicago Fire — Tale of the Tape
| New York City | vs | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
| 6th | Position | 3rd |
| 22 | Points | 26 |
| 27 | Goals For | 29 |
| 22 | Goals Against | 19 |
| 3 | Clean Sheets | 6 |
| 7th | Home / Away Rank | 3rd |
New York City returned from the World Cup break with a valuable 2-1 victory away to Columbus Crew, a result that ended a three-match winless run and provided Pascal Jansen's side with renewed confidence heading into the second half of the campaign.
The Pigeons now return to Yankee Stadium for the first time since early May after spending five consecutive matches away from home.
Although they endured a frustrating run of five home league games without victory before the break, their most recent outing at Yankee Stadium produced a convincing 3-0 win over Columbus Crew, showing they remain capable of controlling matches on home soil.
Another reason for optimism is their recent record against Chicago Fire, having completed a league double over Sunday's opponents last season.
The Fire have also enjoyed a productive campaign despite their 3-2 defeat to Inter Miami following the restart.
Gregg Berhalter's side entered the World Cup break on the back of three consecutive league victories over D.C. United, CF Montreal and Toronto FC, and they continue to sit among the leading teams in the Eastern Conference.
The visitors have travelled particularly well throughout the campaign – before their defeat at Inter Miami, Chicago had avoided defeat in six straight away matches across all competitions, collecting valuable points on their travels while establishing themselves as one of the conference's strongest road teams.
New York City vs Chicago Fire form guide & betting tips
| New York City | vs | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
W
W
D
L
W
|
Form |
L
W
W
W
L
|
| 10 | Points | 9 |
| 3rd | Form Table | 5th |
| 8 | Goals For | 10 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 8 |
W
D
L
L
W
|
Form (All Comps) |
L
W
W
W
L
|
Whispers predicts: New York City FC 2-1 Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire possess enough attacking quality to find the net, yet New York City's excellent recent record in this fixture and home advantage make the hosts slight favourites to edge a competitive contest.
A New York City win is available at 6/5 (2.20), while both teams to score can be backed at 8/15 (1.53).
> Both teams to score at 8/15 (1.53) | Likelihood: Likely
> Over 2.5 goals at 3/5 (1.60) | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result – New York City FC to win at 6/5 (2.20) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score – New York City FC 2-1 Chicago Fire at 15/2 (8.50) | Likelihood: Outsider