Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal Odds: Gazdag and Carranza are Still Going Strong

• Philadelphia Union host CF Montreal this Saturday at Subaru Park. Philadelphia Union go into this tie as heavy favorites. 
• Philadelphia Union are sitting in third place on the Eastern Conference table with 27 points after 15 games.  
• CF Montreal have struggled this season and are sitting in 10th place on the Eastern Conference table with 19 points after 15 games. 

 Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal Odds

 Odds taken from bet365

Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal Pick

• Philadelphia Union to win. 

Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal Predictions

Philadelphia Union go into this as the firm favorites. Last season’s runners-up don’t aren’t as dominant in the league as they were last season, but they still find themselves in third place on the Eastern Conference table. CF Montreal, who were just behind Philadelphia Union in second place on the Eastern Conference table last season, have fallen off and find themselves in 10th place currently. 

Philadelphia Union are also playing at home, which should give them a considerable advantage in this tie. They’ve lost four games all season, and only one has come at home, whereas CF Montreal have won just one at home all season. Of course, there isn’t a lot of value in picking the Philadelphia Union, but it’s hard to make any case for CF Montreal heading into this tie. 

Even a draw seems unlikely because CF Montreal have drawn just one match away from home all season, and Philadelphia Union have drawn just two at home. We think it’s best to look elsewhere for value picks. This seems like a straightforward win for Philadelphia Union. 

Previous Meetings

There’s nothing separating the two sides as far as head-to-head records are concerned. Both sides have won nine matches each and have also drawn nine matches. They can’t be separated if we look at their last five meetings, either. They’ve both won one and drawn the other three.

Montreal, however, won the last match between the two sides 3-2 in March. Philadelphia were in the driving seat for parts of this game before Julian Carranza received a red card in the 69th minute. Romell Quioto scored from the penalty spot in the third minute, but Mikael Uhre’s brace (46’ and 60’) shifted things. Chinonso Offor leveled the scores in the 90th minute, and it looked like the match would end as a draw, but Quioto got his second eight minutes into second-half stoppage time to cap off a memorable win. 

Montreal took 15 shots to Philadelphia’s 11 and had 55% of the possession, but we should consider how the red card changed the game's complexion. It was one of the best games of this season, but Montreal haven’t been able to show the same form on more occasions this season. 

Philadelphia Union Win Third Match in a Row 

Philadelphia Union beat Charlotte 1-0 in midweek to record their third straight victory. They’re now on an eight-match unbeaten run, and it doesn’t look like CF Montreal are going to stop them. Kristijan Kahilina’s 70th-minute own goal was ultimately the difference between the two sides, but Philadelphia Union did enough to be worthy of the three points. 

They took 11 shots and limited Charlotte to five despite having just 46% of the possession. It wasn’t a vintage display by any means but top teams tend to have games where they aren’t at their best but still do enough to get a win. They had the better opportunities in the game and were rewarded for persevering. 

Gazdag and Carranza are Still Going Strong 

At the start of this season, there were a few question marks regarding the form of Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza, but they’ve shut their critics down once again. Both have scored seven goals so far, with the former also contributing to four assists and the latter contributing to two. Their underlying numbers also look good, so they shouldn’t have too many issues sustaining them.

However, there are a few concerns. Philadelphia Union have been one of the hardest-working teams in the last few years. Their forwards tend to defend from the front, but Gazdag’s defensive numbers don’t look as good this season. Gagdaz is just 27 years old, so it shouldn’t be difficult for the Hungarian to press from the front. Carranza, on the other hand, has no trouble keeping up with the defensive demands. 

It remains to be seen if this is a tactical change because Philadelphia Union seem to have dropped a level this season. They’re still one of the top teams in the division, as their league table position suggests, but they’re usually even better than this. It does help Gazdag conserve some energy, but it might affect how the team defends as a whole. 

CF Montreal Draw 2-2 Against DC United

CF Montreal had another underwhelming result in midweek with a 2-2 draw against Wayne Rooney’s DC United. On the bright side, CF Montreal showed a lot of fight. They were down 2-0 for most of the game but scored goals in the 80th and 82nd minute to get a point; Sunusi Ibrahim and Ariel Lassiter were the two goalscorers. 

Donovan Pines (44’) and Theodore Ku-DiPietro (59’) put DC United in front with two well-worked goals, but CF Montreal kept their heads and got something in the end. There wasn’t a lot between the two sides if you take a closer look at the stats. DC United took 12 shots to Montreal’s 11, with four on target to Montreal’s five. DC United had 57% of the possession, but that was expected of them as the home side. 

Montreal will still be a bit concerned by the slow start to the game. It’s happened far too often this season and has cost them dearly. 

Romell Quioto’s Injury Has Affected CF Montreal’s Season

Romell Quioto was one of the top players in the league last season with 15 goals and five assists but hasn’t been available for large parts of the season due to a hamstring injury. He was a big reason why CF Montreal ended the league season in second place on the Eastern Conference table. 

However, that’s not the only reason why CF Montreal are in 10th place. Even in the same games he was available, he scored just three goals, and his underlying numbers suggest that was just about right. CF Montreal overperformed massively last season, so a downturn was always around the corner, but no one expected it to be this drastic. 

This was always going to be a difficult game, but it’ll be even more challenging without Quito’s services. They look toothless in front of goal without him and don’t have the backline to compensate for his absence. 

How to watch Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal

• Teams: Philadelphia Union vs CF Montreal
• Location: Subaru Park
• Time: Saturday, June 3 at 7:30 pm EST onwards
• How to watch: Apple TV