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• Chicago Fire v New England Revolution: Acosta says composure key for misfiring hosts

  Kellyn Acosta says the Chicago Fire need to be more precise with their ball progression if they are to end their barren run and begin to climb the MLS standings.

  Frank Klopas' team sit 12th in the Eastern Conference and have failed to win – or even find the net – in three matches ahead of Saturday's clash with the New England Revolution. 

  Chicago scored nine goals in their first five MLS matches in 2024 but have since netted two in their last five, and midfielder Acosta says composure is the key to improving their attacking output.

  "It's a combination of moving the ball back to front and finding our forwards," Acosta said. 

  "I feel like we've got to get them the ball in dangerous areas where they are bringing out their qualities, and I think we have not done a good job of progressing the ball to them."

  The Revs, meanwhile, sit bottom of the East with just four points through their first nine matches under Caleb Porter, being thrashed 4-1 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Inter Miami side last time out.

  Nacho Gil has joined several other New England players on a lengthy injury list, and Porter says the team must be cautious as they navigate a route through a testing spell. 

  "If we're good with our planning… you can't avoid some injuries, but with soft tissue injuries, you can avoid a mistake," Porter said. 

  "The medical staff, the sports science staff, they'll have a plan to reintegrate these guys where they can hit the ground running."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  Chicago Fire – Brian Gutierrez

  The Fire failed to record a shot on target in last week's goalless draw at home to Atlanta United, the third time they have done so since the start of the 2022 campaign. No other team has done so more than once in that time.

  Gutierrez was limited to the role of substitute for that game, but as Chicago's leading scorer with three league goals this year, he will surely come in to start this one.

  New England Revolution – Carles Gil

  Carles Gil leads all Revs players for goals (three) and chances created (27) so far this season. None of his team-mates have laid on more than 11 chances this term (Tomas Chancalay). 

  MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

  New England are winless in 17 MLS away matches (five draws, 12 defeats, including playoffs), in a run dating back to May 2023. Their longest ever winless run on the road in MLS is 18 matches between September 2016 to September 2017.

  However, they may fancy their chances of taking something from Saturday's match, with Chicago only having two wins through their first 10 games of the season.

  This is the sixth straight season in which they have failed to win at least three of their first 10 games of an MLS campaign. No other team in MLS history has done so in more than three straight years.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Chicago Fire – 37.7%

  New England Revolution – 33.4%

  Draw – 28.9%

• Klopp says Salah spat a 'non-story', does not expect forward to push for move

  Jurgen Klopp says his bust-up with Mohamed Salah has been resolved and does not believe the Liverpool forward will push to follow him through the exit door at the end of the season.

  Klopp and Salah became embroiled in a heated confrontation on the sidelines during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with West Ham last week, as the out-of-form Egyptian waited to come on as a substitute.

  The Reds boss played down the incident in his post-match press conference but Salah did the opposite in the mixed zone, telling reporters: "If I speak, there will be fire."

  However, Klopp reiterated on Friday that he considers the matter closed, saying: "It is completely resolved. It is no problem.  

  "If we didn't know each other for that long I don't know how we would deal with it, but we've known each other for that long and we respect each other. 

  "I think we have the right to deal with these things completely independent of any expectations from the outside. It is a non-story. In general, everyone is in the best possible place.

  "If we win the games and score loads of goals, then the situation would not have been exactly like that because Mo would not have been on the bench in the first place."

  Last week's incident led to renewed speculation regarding Salah's future at Anfield, with the Egyptian preparing to enter the final 12 months of his contract with the Reds.

  Salah, who was the subject of a £150million bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad last year, has scored 17 Premier League goals this season but only three of those have come since New Year's Day.

  Before going to the Africa Cup of Nations – where he suffered a hamstring injury – Salah boasted a shot conversion rate of 21.54 per cent in the Premier League for 2023-24, netting with 14 of his 65 attempts. Since returning, he has only converted three of 35 (8.57 per cent).

  While Salah's long-term future is none of Klopp's concern, he does not see any signs of the Egypt star pushing for a move.

  "You all have to get used to the fact that is not my subject," Klopp added. "Mo, as a player, is incredible and I don't think I should speak about that. Other people will decide that, especially Mo.

  "I don't have any signs it will be like that. I just try to prepare the basis for the future."

  Liverpool host Tottenham on Sunday, with the Premier League title now surely beyond them as they trail Arsenal by five points and Manchester City – who have a game in hand – by four. 

• Saudi Pro League: Mahrez and Firmino on target as Al-Ahli tighten grip on third place

  Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino were both on target as Al-Ahli tightened their grip on third place in the Saudi Pro League table with a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday.

  Matthias Jaissle's team were four goals up within just 25 minutes as Damac folded, Ziyad Al Johani and Feras Al Brikan netting their first two before Franck Kessie was felled by Dhari Al Anazi for a penalty, converted by Mahrez.

  Firmino then tapped home a fourth after being teed up by former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin on the break, but Al-Ahli took their foot off the gas from there, Domagoj Antolic's second-half consolation rounding off the scoring.

  Elsewhere, 10-man Al-Riyadh scored two stoppage-time draws to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw with Al-Fateh in Al-Mubarraz. 

  Goals from Djaniny and former Columbus Crew star Lucas Zelarayan put Slaven Bilic's hosts on the brink of victory, with Al-Riyadh playing almost half the game a player down after Khalid Al Shuwayyi's 54th-minute red card. 

  An astonishing collapse denied them, however, with Mohammed Al Shwirekh halving the arrears one minute into stoppage time before Didier Ndong headed in a left-wing cross three minutes later.

  Thursday's other game saw Al-Hazm and Al-Akhdoud play out a goalless draw, keeping the hosts bottom of the table while Al-Akhdoud inched two points clear of the relegation zone.