Hany Mukhtar and Nashville SC look to add to the Columbus Crew’s road struggles on Sunday.
Nashville (7-3-4, 25 points) will try again to set a franchise record with a fourth straight home victory in MLS play. The previous three attempts to establish that mark ended in draws.
A 4-0-2 run has moved Nashville to second in the Eastern Conference as it prepares to host the Crew (5-5-3, 18 points) for just the second time in history. The teams tied 1-1 in October 2021.
It will be second straight formidable away test for Columbus with Nashville sporting a 5-1-2 home mark.
The Crew, 1-4-1 on the road, lost 3-2 to FC Cincinnati last Saturday for their rival’s eighth straight home win to start the season. Columbus is 1-6-2 in its past nine road games back to last season.
“It’s always hard to win away but we’re preparing well for it and will go for it and go grab the three points away,” Crew defender Mohamed Farsi said. “Away or home we press, we attack. The missing piece is the win, but our time will come.”
In order to avoid another setback, the Crew must somehow contain Mukhtar, the 2022 MLS MVP.
He scored twice in a 2-1 comeback win at Charlotte FC last Saturday, including a stoppage-time penalty kick to secure the three points, to give him eight goals and six assists this season.
“We showed character and that’s what we have to be all the time,” he said. “Even if you fall behind in the first 15-20 minutes, there is still time to change the game.”
His first goal, coming in his 93rd game, made him the fifth-fastest player in MLS history to have at least 50 career goals and 30 assists in the regular season.
Mukhtar has had eight multi-goal games since the start of last season, the most in MLS, according to the league’s website.
Since the start of the 2021 season, he has been involved in 76 goals (47 goals, 29 assists), 22 more than anyone else in the league.
— Field Level Media
