Major League Soccer · Matchday 34 
Our pick Away win Correct result
Nashville’s recent dominance meets Cincinnati’s home strength
Nashville SC arrive unbeaten in nine and top of the Eastern Conference, but the recent history between these teams is finely balanced. Their latest meeting, however, ended in a emphatic 4-0 Nashville win.
📍 TQL Stadium
Preview written:
All Matchday 34 matches Full head-to-head
Match report
Final result: FC Cincinnati 0-2 Nashville SC.
Match statistics (home team first). Shots: 14–14; Shots on target: 5–5; Corners: 6–2; Expected goals: 0.91–1.26.
Goals
- 61' Sam Surridge · Andy Najar · Nashville SC
- 86' Sam Surridge · Patrick Yazbek · Nashville SC
Cards
- 31' Obinna Nwobodo · FC Cincinnati
- 41' Evander · FC Cincinnati
- 45+3' Samuel Mawuena Gidi · FC Cincinnati
- 65' Kyle Smith · FC Cincinnati
- 88' Pavel Bucha · FC Cincinnati
- 90' Alex Muyl · Nashville SC
- 90+6' Maxwell Woledzi · Nashville SC
Match stats
⭐ Top-rated player: S. Surridge (Nashville SC) 9
Ratings and statistics: API-Football.
Confirmed lineups
FC Cincinnati · 3-5-2
- 18R. CelentanoG
- 24K. SmithD
- 15T. HadebeD
- 11S. GidiD
- 23D. DouděraM
- 20P. BuchaM
- 10EvanderM
- 5O. NwobodoM
- 29Bryan Josías Ramírez LeónM
- 9K. DenkeyF
- 16T. BarlowF
Coach: Pat Noonan
Nashville SC · 4-3-3
- 99B. SchwakeG
- 31A. NajarD
- 3M. WoledziD
- 5J. MaherD
- 27R. Baker-WhitingD
- 8P. YazbekM
- 16M. CorcoranM
- 11E. SaadM
- 7C. EspinozaF
- 9S. SurridgeF
- 10H. MukhtarF
Coach: B. Callaghan
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| FC Cincinnati | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| Nashville SC | 2.1 | 0.8 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville SC | 33 | +44 | 74 |
| 7 | FC Cincinnati | 33 | -6 | 46 |
Last meetings
- 2026 Nashville SC 4-0 FC Cincinnati
- 2025 FC Cincinnati 2-1 Nashville SC
- 2025 Nashville SC 1-2 FC Cincinnati
- 2024 Nashville SC 2-2 FC Cincinnati
- 2024 FC Cincinnati 0-2 Nashville SC
PreviaXI model
Model confidence: Open game
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.42 – 1.61
- Double chance
- 12 · 75%1X 58% · X2 67%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 58%Over 1.5: 81% · Over 3.5: 36%
- Both teams score
- 61%
- Clean sheet
- 20% – 24%FC Cincinnati–Nashville SC
- Half-time result
- X · 39%1 28% · 2 33%
- Half-time / full-time
- 2/2 · 25%1/1 20% · X/X 14%
- Expected corners
- 9.54.3 – 5.2 · Over 9.5: 48%
- Expected cards
- 3.41.8 – 1.6 · Over 3.5: 45%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Nashville arrive in control
Nashville SC travel to Cincinnati as Eastern Conference leaders, six places and 28 points above FC Cincinnati after 33 matches. They have won 22 league games and conceded just 25 goals, while Cincinnati sit seventh with 46 points and a goal difference of -6.
The stakes are clear with the regular season reaching its final round: Nashville can reinforce their position at the top, while Cincinnati will look to finish strongly from seventh. Cincinnati’s home record offers encouragement, with nine wins in 16 league matches at TQL Stadium.
Both sides carry momentum
Cincinnati are unbeaten in four and come off a league win. Across their last five, they have taken three victories, one draw and one defeat, scoring seven goals and conceding five.
Nashville’s run is longer: they are unbeaten in nine and also won their most recent league match. Their last five brought three wins and two draws, with ten goals scored and only three conceded. Their season-long defensive record is striking too: 16 clean sheets in 33 league games, compared with four for Cincinnati.
A balanced rivalry, then a 4-0
The last five meetings are level, with two wins apiece and one draw. Cincinnati won both of the previous two encounters, including a 2-1 home victory in September 2025, but the latest meeting changed the tone: Nashville beat them 4-0 on August 30.
That result was the only one of the five meetings decided by more than two goals; the other four were tighter, and one finished 2-2. The recent history therefore offers both a warning for Cincinnati and a reminder that the matchup has often been close.
Our prediction
Cincinnati’s home form and unbeaten run should help them make this competitive, but Nashville’s nine-match unbeaten streak, stronger defensive record and recent 4-0 head-to-head win point toward the visitors. PreviaXI’s model also favours Nashville, while still projecting a contest in which Cincinnati can find the net.
FC Cincinnati 1-2 Nashville SC
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