Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal preview: next match date, kick-off, venue

The next Columbus Crew match in the 2026 Major League Soccer season sees them host CF Montreal at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus. This Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal preview focuses on a key Eastern Conference clash scheduled for 19 August 2026, with kick-off at 23:30 UTC, in the Regular Season - 20 round.

With Columbus sitting 11th and Montreal 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, both sides are desperate for points to climb the table. Columbus will look to make home advantage count, while Montreal aim to improve their away record and close the gap on their conference rivals.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

• Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 20
• Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-19 23:30 UTC
• Venue: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus
• Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

Columbus Crew come into this fixture ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference on 20 points after 19 matches. Their overall record stands at 5 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats, with 27 goals scored and 31 conceded, giving a goal difference of -4. At home, Columbus have been relatively stronger, with 4 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses from 9 matches, scoring 12 and conceding 9. Away from home they have 1 win, 3 draws and 6 defeats, with 15 goals for and 22 against. Their recent form string reads LDWLW, indicating a mixed but slightly improving run.

CF Montreal sit 14th in the Eastern Conference on 17 points from 19 games. They have recorded 4 wins, 5 draws and 10 losses, scoring 25 goals and conceding 36 for a goal difference of -11. At home they have 3 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats (13 goals for, 11 against), but their away form has been a concern: just 1 win, 1 draw and 7 losses in 9 road matches, with 12 scored and 25 conceded. Their current form string is DDLLD, underlining a recent run without a win.

From the season statistics, Columbus have kept 3 clean sheets so far, all at home, and have failed to score only 3 times in 19 matches. CF Montreal have managed 4 clean sheets (3 at home, 1 away) but have failed to score 7 times, highlighting some attacking inconsistency. Columbus have also converted 3 of 4 penalties, while Montreal boast a perfect record from the spot with 6 penalties scored from 6.

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 over these ten MLS meetings shows many tight contests, with several draws and a number of one-goal margins. Columbus have enjoyed multiple home wins by 2–1, while Montreal’s standout result in this run was a 2–1 away victory in 2022. Recent clashes have often been competitive, with both teams finding the net regularly.

Team news & absences

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) — 11 goals and 6 assists in MLS 2026 underline his importance as Montreal’s main attacking threat and a key figure in this Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal clash.

Prediction

The prediction model leans towards the hosts, with Columbus Crew given a 45% chance of victory, the draw also at 45%, and CF Montreal at 10%. The advice is a clear “Double chance: Columbus Crew or draw”, reflecting Columbus’ stronger home record and Montreal’s struggles on the road. For anyone looking at a Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal prediction, the data suggests the home side are more likely to avoid defeat, though the high draw probability points to another closely fought Eastern Conference encounter.