SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois (relocated from Soldier Field due to Chicago Bears NFL conflicts).
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET.
The match airs globally on Apple TV (MLS Season Pass), with local radio options including English on wlsam.com and Spanish on TUDN Chicago.
Venue and Weather
SeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, IL; capacity around 20,000–28,000 for soccer configurations; grass surface). Forecast for Saturday: Cloudy with highs around 47°F (8°C), lows near 40°F (4°C), light winds (~5–7 mph from the north/west), and low precipitation chances. Cool, overcast conditions are expected around kickoff.
Current Records and Standings
Chicago Fire: 16-10-7 (55 points in most reports after 33 games), typically 3rd–5th. Strong goal output (around 61 scored). They clinched a playoff berth earlier and are pushing for a higher seed.
Columbus Crew: 13-15-5 (44 points after 33 games), around 7th–8th. They recently clinched a playoff spot with a late surge and enter on a hot streak.
This is the second meeting of the 2026 season (first ended 0-0 in Columbus in March).
Recent Form
Chicago Fire: Mixed but positive late-season results, including a 4-2 road win at Colorado Rapids (Oct. 31; Bamba brace, Lewandowski goal), 2-2 home draw vs. Orlando City, and 3-2 win at Atlanta. Form includes wins, a draw, and earlier losses (e.g., to New England and Philadelphia). Attack has been productive.
Columbus Crew: Excellent recent form with five straight MLS wins and shutouts in the last two (3-0 home vs. D.C. United on Oct. 31; 2-0 at FC Dallas). Other recent wins include 4-2 vs. Toronto and 2-0 at Cincinnati. Strong defensive run and late climb into the playoffs.
Injury Reports
Chicago Fire: Sam Rogers (lower body) and Robin Lod (lower body) out. Key contributors like Haile-Selassie, Lewandowski, Bamba, Zinckernagel, and Brady expected available.
Columbus Crew: Wessam Abou Ali (knee) and Rudy Camacho (torso) out. Brais Méndez listed as questionable (thigh) in some reports. Core group including Schulte, Zawadzki, Chambost, Habroune, Farsi, and others available.
Current Rosters / Expected Key Players and Predicted Lineups
Chicago Fire (coach Gregg Berhalter; typical 4-3-3 or 4-4-2): Goalkeeper Chris Brady; defenders including Jack Elliott, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Jonathan Dean, Noah Allen, Andrew Gutman, Leonardo Barroso, Andreas Hanche-Olsen; midfielders Anton Salétros, Djé D’Avilla, Maren Haile-Selassie; attackers Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, Robert Lewandowski, Johan Gómez, Puso Dithejane.
Predicted XI examples from previews: Brady; Dean/Allen, Elliott, Mbokazi, Gutman/Barroso; Salétros, D’Avilla; Zinckernagel, Haile-Selassie, Bamba; with Lewandowski or Gómez involved.
Columbus Crew (coach Laurent Courtois; typical 3-4-3 or 4-4-2/3-5-2): Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte; defenders Sean Zawadzki (captain), Malte Amundsen, Steven Moreira, Mohamed Farsi, Brooks Lennon, Eric Bailly; midfielders Dylan Chambost, Sekou Bangoura, Anass Zaroury, Santiago Rodríguez; attackers Taha Habroune, Gonzalo Tapia, Brais Méndez (if fit), Josef Martínez.
Predicted XI examples: Schulte; Amundsen, Zawadzki, Moreira; Zaroury/Farsi, Bangoura, Chambost, Farsi/others; Rodríguez, Habroune, Tapia.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Maren Haile-Selassie (CHI, ~12 goals + assists) vs. Columbus back line (Zawadzki/Amundsen/Moreira/Schulte): Haile-Selassie is Chicago’s leading scorer and primary threat; Crew’s recent clean sheets make this a pivotal battle.
Robert Lewandowski / Jonathan Bamba / Philip Zinckernagel (CHI attack) vs. Crew midfield/defense: Lewandowski’s experience and finishing, Bamba’s recent form (brace in last outing), and Zinckernagel’s creativity against a Crew side that has tightened defensively.
Dylan Chambost / Taha Habroune / Santiago Rodríguez / Anass Zaroury (CLB creators and scorers) vs. Chicago midfield/defense (Salétros, Elliott, Brady): Chambost’s assists and the Crew’s attacking contributors in their winning streak against Brady and Chicago’s center backs.
Goalkeeper duel: Chris Brady (CHI) vs. Patrick Schulte (CLB)—both solid, with Crew posting recent shutouts.
Series History
The sides have a long MLS rivalry. Recent meetings include the 0-0 draw earlier in 2026. Broader H2H shows competitive results with Columbus often strong historically, though Chicago has home advantages in some recent years. One preview noted mixed results in the last half-dozen encounters.
Betting Trends
Crew’s five-game win streak and recent shutouts contrast with Chicago’s higher overall points and attack (61 goals). Both teams score regularly; Decision Day stakes (seeding/playoff positioning) add intensity. Models in previews lean toward a competitive game, often favoring the home side narrowly (e.g., 2-1 Chicago in one projection).
MATCH ODDS
Columbus Crew SC + 240
Chicago Fire FC – 102
Draw + 300
Over 3.5 + 106 Under 3.5 – 139
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, November 6, 2026
