Two giants of Major League Soccer will face off in the Leagues Cup final when Columbus Crew hosts LAFC at Lower.com Field.

The Crew secured their place in the final after a clear 3-1 victory over Eastern Conference opponents Philadelphia Union in front of their fans. Diego Rossi scored twice for Wilfried Nancy’s team, while Juan “Cucho” Hernandez intervened in the second half to secure the win for Columbus.

LAFC booked their place in the Leagues Cup final with a commanding 4-0 win over fellow Western Conference side Colorado Rapids. The game at BMO Stadium remained tied until the end of the first half, when the hosts scored in quick succession through Mateusz Bogusz and Kei Kamara before Denis Bouanga and Lewis O’Brien rounded off the game in the second 45 minutes.

Columbus has won its last two encounters: 5-1 at BMO Stadium in July and 2-1 at home in last year’s MLS Cup.

Here is 90 minutes‘s preview of the Leagues Cup final between Columbus and LAFC.

Last meeting: LAFC 1-5 Columbus Crew (July 13, 2024) – MLS

Current form (all competitions)

You can watch all the action from the 2024 Leagues Cup with the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

The Crew has no new injuries in their camp ahead of the showdown against LAFC.

Expected lineup of the Columbus Crew against LAFC ( 3-4-2-1 ): Schulte; Moreira, Camacho, Amundsen; Farsi, Zawadzki, Nagbe, Jones; Ramirez, Rossi; Hernandez.

Midfielder Timothy Tillman has been sidelined for the past few weeks with a leg injury, but the U.S. international was on Steve Cherundolo’s bench for the win over Colorado. Although Tillman did not play in the game and did not play, there is a chance he could return from injury as a second-half substitute in the final to either provide some variety in the midfield or help hold off the result for LAFC.

Expected lineup of LAFC against Columbus Crew ( 3-4-3 ): Lloris; Murillo, Chanot, Long; Palencia, Atuesta, Sanchez, Hollingshead; Bogusz, Giroud, Bouanga.

Both teams head into the final with a lot of momentum after their comfortable wins in the semi-finals, while the final is becoming more of a neck and neck contest. Both teams have quality all over the pitch and everything points to an entertaining encounter between two of the best teams in MLS.

LAFC will enter the 2023 MLS Cup with a grudge after its shortcomings, and Cherundolo’s team will narrowly miss out on taking home one of the coveted trophies in a penalty shootout at Lower.com Field.

Prediction: Columbus Crew 2-2 LAFC (4-5 on penalties)

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