D.C. United v New York City FC: Jansen hoping to solve attacking issues

New York City FC caput manager Pascal Jansen is hoping his players tin rediscover their cutting borderline successful onslaught erstwhile they question to Audi Field to look D.C. United this week.

Jansen watched connected arsenic his players were beaten by lowly CF Montreal past clip out, ending their four-game tally crossed each competitions without conceding a goal.

It besides saw their opponents prime up their archetypal triumph of the season, with Jansen believing the effect was decided by his team’s inefficiency successful the guardant areas.

NYCFC ended the contention with an expected goals (xG) full of 0.88 from their 10 shots, though lone 2 of those were connected target.

“On paper, Montreal comes successful with 3 points – struggling to get those points,” Jansen began.

“If you look astatine our MLS games successful the past fewer weeks, we did okay. The attacking menace has been an contented passim each the games.

“It’s a pugnacious one, due to the fact that you get 1 infinitesimal successful the 2nd fractional wherever [Montreal] escapes, and they get a bully changeable connected people and a bully goal.

“But for us, to get ourselves successful a comfy presumption during these games, we should bash much with the shot to [shift momentum] successful our direction.”

D.C. United find themselves successful a akin presumption to their opponents coming into their clash having fallen to a 2-0 decision to struggling Toronto FC successful their past MLS match.

Indeed, it was the 3rd clip the nine person failed to people successful their past 5 regular-season matches.

They have, however, lone been shutout successful consecutive matches lone erstwhile since the commencement of past season, failing to people against Charlotte FC and Atlanta United successful June 2024.

Head manager Troy Lesesne shifted the blasted for the nonaccomplishment connected to himself, portion besides highlighting his side’s inability to get talisman Christian Benteke progressive successful the contest.

“I commencement archetypal with myself successful our lucifer plan,” Lesesne said. “I don’t deliberation we were assertive enough.

“And the individuality you’ve seen for america astatine our champion is an assertive team, and we were truly passive.

“We conscionable weren’t organised. We had the numbers there, but I don’t deliberation we had the behaviour due to the fact that they evidently got the amended of us.

“We truly near him connected an island,” Lesesne said of Benteke. “That goes backmost to however the lucifer program was acceptable up, and I instrumentality afloat work for that.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

D.C. United – Christian Benteke

Though not connected people for his squad past clip out, Benteke impressed against Toronto, signaling team-high totals for shots (five), duels won (eight) and aerial duels won (seven).

The Belgian besides has 2 goals successful 4 appearances against NYCFC and volition beryllium looking to adhd to that full astatine Audi Field successful midweek.

NYCFC – Alonso Martinez

Martinez attempted 7 shots for the 2nd consecutive league lucifer successful NYCFC’s decision connected Saturday.

He is the 4th NYCFC subordinate to instrumentality 7 oregon much shots successful consecutive league matches and the archetypal since Valentin Castellanos successful July 2022 (three consecutive games).

MATCH PREDICTION: NYCFC WIN

The past 8 meetings betwixt D.C. United and NYCFC astatine Audi Field person been split, with each broadside winning 3 times (two draws). Both teams person scored 9 goals implicit the 8 games.

D.C. United’s past regular-season lucifer astatine location was a 2-1 triumph implicit the Colorado Rapids. The squad has not won consecutive location regular-season games since a two-game streak betwixt April and May 2022.

NYCFC, meanwhile, won their past regular-season distant match, 1-0, astatine Toronto. They person recorded consecutive roadworthy wins successful league play lone erstwhile since the commencement of the 2023 season, which was a three-match tally successful May 2024.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

D.C. United – 33.7%

Draw – 25.7%

NYCFC – 40.6%