Related items

• ​Minnesota United FC v Portland Timbers: 'Proud' Neville hoping to build momentum

  Phil Neville is hoping Portland Timbers can build some momentum with back-to-back victories when they take on Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Saturday.

  The Timbers recovered from two goals down at half-time to beat San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 in their most recent match, snapping a three-game losing run and a nine-match wait for three points.

  Portland are now back up to 11th in the Western Conference, but Neville accepts there is plenty to do if his side are to challenge for a play-off spot.

  "The spirit in that second half [against San Jose] was bigger than anything I've seen in football, and I've seen an awful lot in football," Neville said. 

  "Those supporters willed the team, willed the ball into the back of the net and that’s what makes me proud to be the manager of this football club. We've got a hell of a lot of work to do. It's a big job and one we'll succeed in.”

  Minnesota played out a 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy in their most recent match, as they let slip a half-time lead to trail 2-1 before hitting back late on.

  The Loons have now won three and drawn one of their past four games and are second in the West after an impressive start to life under head coach Eric Ramsay.

  The Welshman was particularly pleased with his side's first-half performance against Galaxy and is hoping for a full-90 performance when Portland visit.

  "I think that's the most complete performance that we've had since I've been here," he told reporters. 

  "We're really frustrated overall because it's a game you felt we had complete control of at half-time. I just felt we've taken our foot off their neck in the second half."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Minnesota United - Bongokuhle Hlongwane

  Hlongwane opened the scoring for Minnesota in the four-goal draw with Galaxy and enjoys playing against next opponents Portland.

  Indeed, the South Africa international has scored in his first three MLS matches against the Timers - the only player in MLS history to do so.

  Portland Timbers - Maxime Crepeau

  The Timbers may have defeated San Jose in midweek, but they conceded multiple goals for a ninth straight game, equalling the longest streak in a single season in MLS history.

  While it is down to the whole defensive unit to keep the opposition out, goalkeeper Crepeau's save percentage of 62 is the second lowest in MLS this season, behind only St. Louis City SC's Roman Burki (61.9 per cent) 

  MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN

  Minnesota have won eight of their 13 regular-season meetings with the Timbers, averaging exactly two points per match in those games - the best of any Western Conference team against Portland since United joined MLS in 2017.

  The Loons have lost only two of their opening 11 matches this season - never previously have they lost fewer than four games at this stage - and have scored multiple goals in each of their past four outings. 

  Portland showed great spirit in fighting back against San Jose - it was the second latest a team has come from two goals down in an MLS match to win by multiple goals - but that is only one of three wins in 13 MLS games this term.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Minnesota United - 48.9%
  Draw - 26.6%
  Portland Timbers - 24.5%

• Toronto FC v CF Montreal: Courtois accepts blame amid ongoing winless streak

  Laurent Courtois has accepted that it is on him to find a winning formula as CF Montreal look to snap their winless run against Toronto FC.

  Montreal were beaten 3-1 by Columbus Crew in midweek and are now without a victory in six games in all competitions.

  That includes a three-game losing streak in MLS, leaving them 13th in the Eastern Conference, and Courtois is eager to get back on track.

  "It's up to me to find the winning formulas and discern the phases of the game," head coach Courtois said after the loss to Columbus.

  "We have to grit our teeth and find solutions. The difficult times we are going through help me identify my group. I want to know the players better. 

  "From all the negative aspects we can observe, I can identify a few individual aspects to improve the game or the team itself."

  Monreal's rivals Toronto have themselves lost back-to-back games ahead of Saturday's Canadian Classique at BMO Field.

  Nashville SC scored twice late on to snatch a 2-0 win in the Reds' most recent match, but acting head coach Jason deVos admits there can be no excuses.

  "The last ten minutes, two mistakes cost us and that's the cruelty of football sometimes - that it's a 90-minute match and you need to put in a 90-minute performance in," he said. 

  "The players are aware of that. They know where the growth areas are for us as a team."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Toronto - Federico Bernardeschi

  Bernardeschi missed the loss to Nashville but will hope to start this weekend in a fixture he has fond memories of. 

  The Italian has scored in each of his two home games against Montreal, making him the third Toronto player to score in two successive home games against them after Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley.

  Montreal - Joel Waterman

  Montreal have conceded three or more goals five times across their 12 MLS games this season, which is tied with San Jose Earthquakes for the most in MLS.

  They quite simply need to sharpen up at the back, with Joel Waterman needing to step up and hope others around him also do so.. The centre-back led the way for interceptions (three) and clearances (four) against Columbus, yet it was still not enough.

  MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

  Montreal have won five successive matches against Toronto, following a run of neither side ever winning more than three on the spin in this fixture.

  Toronto have won seven and drawn one of their eight matches in which they have held opponents under two goals since September, while they have lost all 13 in which they have shipped two or more.

  Keeping the opposition quiet is therefore key, and this could present a chance to do just that against a Montreal side with fewer points (five) than any side in MLS since mid-March.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Toronto - 39.6%
  Draw - 28.5%
  Montreal - 31.9%

• Fiorentina 2-2 Napoli: Kvaratskhelia keeps visitors' slim European hopes alive

  Dethroned Italian champions Napoli's hopes of playing European football next season are hanging by a thread after they played out a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.

  Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute through defender Amir Rrahmani, who nodded home a corner by Matteo Politano.

  Cristiano Biraghi levelled for Fiorentina in the 40th minute from a free-kick, before M'Bala Nzola put the hosts in front two minutes later when he fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net.

  Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia responded with another stunning free-kick early in the second half to rescue a point for his team.

  Eighth-placed Fiorentina, on 54 points and with a game in hand, are five points behind Lazio in seventh.

  They can still earn a Europa League spot either by leapfrogging the Rome side or by winning the Europa Conference League final in which they face Greece's Olympiakos on May 29.

  Ninth-placed Napoli, on 52 points, still have a slim chance of making the Europa Conference League playoffs.

  Data Debrief

  Fiorentina left-back Biraghi has now scored six goals from direct free-kicks since the start of 2021-22, which is behind only James Ward-Prowse (seven) - now of West Ham and formerly of Southampton - as the most across Europe's top five leagues in that period.

  Kvaratskhelia also levelled via a direct free-kick, making this the first Serie A match in which both teams scored via that route since Fiorentina against Lazio in April 2018 (Jordan Veretout and Luis Alberto in that case).