Columbus Crew’s winning run faces a test at Chicago Fire

A run meets a top-four challenge

Columbus Crew have won five matches in a row, scoring 14 goals and conceding just three across that stretch. Their challenge now is a trip to Chicago Fire, who sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with 55 points, 11 ahead of Columbus in eighth.

With both clubs having played 33 league matches, the standings underline the size of the task for the visitors. Chicago are four places above Columbus, and can draw confidence from a home record of nine wins in 16 matches. Columbus, by contrast, have won four of their 16 away league games.

Chicago’s response and Columbus’s surge

Chicago’s latest league match was a win, and they are unbeaten in three. Their last five have brought two wins, a draw and two defeats, with 10 goals scored and 10 conceded. That mixed sequence contrasts with Columbus’s perfect five-match run, in which they have scored 14 and let in only three.

The recent figures point to a lively contest, but the home side have been more reliable at SeatGeek Stadium: Chicago have conceded 21 goals in 16 home matches, while Columbus have conceded 30 in 16 away games. The Crew’s current form, though, gives them a clear chance to challenge that advantage.

Recent meetings favour Columbus

Columbus have won three of the last five meetings, with Chicago winning once and the other match drawn. The most recent encounter ended 0-0 in March 2026, while two of those five meetings produced two goals or fewer.

Chicago’s 2-0 home win in September 2025 offers a reminder that the Fire can contain the Crew on this ground. But the broader head-to-head record gives the visitors reason to believe they can extend their run.

Attacking numbers to watch

Chicago have scored 30 goals in 16 home league matches, averaging 1.9 per game. Columbus have scored 26 in 16 away matches, and their 14 goals across the last five suggest their attack is arriving in strong condition.

The contrast is at the other end: Chicago have four home clean sheets, while Columbus have kept three away from home. The Crew’s recent defensive improvement will be tested by a home side that has scored freely on its own ground.

Our prediction

Columbus’s five straight wins make them a threat, but Chicago’s home output and stronger league position tilt the balance towards the hosts. PreviaXI’s model also favours Chicago, with the home side projected to create more scoring opportunities.

Chicago Fire 2-1 Columbus Crew