FC Dallas will look to return to winning ways in the MLS when they hit the road to square up against LA Galaxy.
LA Galaxy’s winless run came to an end in their last outing, and they will now be looking to make it two wins in a row when they host a struggling FC Dallas. The home team are third in the Western Conference with 25 points in their 15 outings. While a win here will help them strengthen their position, a defeat could see them go down the table.
LA Galaxy have not had the best of times of late. They lost to Austin towards the end of last month and followed it up with four draws before finally claiming all three points against Houston Dynamo last time out.
With the home team heading into this one on the back of a win, they will be confident about their chances. Meanwhile, the visitors are 12th on the points table with 13 points in as many outings. They have only won three matches so far.
FC Dallas are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-3 draw against Real Salt Lake. While Dallas where disappointed to have conceded an injury-time equaliser, they didn’t really deserve more than a point on the night and will have to do much better to win against LA Galaxy. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
LA Galaxy
The home team do not really have much to worry about in terms of injuries and suspensions as Joseph Paintsil is expected to be their only absentee.
LA Galaxy will go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where John McCarthy will be in goal. Miki Yamane and Julián Aude will be the full-backs for the home team, while Maya Yoshida will feature in the heart of the defence alongside Martín Cáceres.
In the centre of the park, Gaston Brugman will start alongside Marco Delgado and former Barcelona youth product Riqui Puig. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball.
Gabriel Pec and Diego Fagúndez will feature on the flanks. They will look to provide width to their attack and stretch the opposition’s defence. Meanwhile, Dejan Joveljić will be leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): McCarthy; Yamane, Yoshida, Caceres, Aude; Delgado, Brugman, Puig; Pec, Joveljic, Fagundez
FC Dallas
The visitors do have a few injury concerns as they will be heading into this fixture without five first-team players. Alan Velasco, Geovane Jesus, Jesus Ferreira, Amet Korca, and Paxton Pomykal are all unavailable for this one.
FC Dallas will stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Maarten Paes will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Sebastien Ibeagha, Nkosi Tafari and Sam Junqua. The back three will look for a clean sheet while Ema Twumasi and Marco Farfan who will feature as wing-backs will be in their support.
Asier Illarramendi and Liam Fraser will look to control the tempo of the game will the duo starting as the two central midfielders. Paul Arriola and Patrickson Delgado will feature as the two attacking midfielders behind striker Petar Musa who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Paes; Ibeagha, Tafari, Junqua; Twumasi, Fraser, Illarramendi, Farfan; Arriola, Delgado; Musa
Ways to Watch
Key Stats
- LA Galaxy last won over FC Dallas back in July 2021.
- FC Dallas have been on a two-match winless run heading into this fixture.
- LA Galaxy where on a five-match winless run in the MLS before winning against Houston last time out.
- The home team had only registered eight wins last season but they have bounced back and already have six wins this season.
- FC Dallas have been unbeaten in their last six matches against LA Galaxy, winning five of them.
Player to Watch
Dejan Joveljić
Joveljic has been a standout performer for LA Galaxy since the start of the season. The Serbian international has found the back of the net on seven occasions and he also has two assists to his name in just over 900 minutes of first-team football. Given the kind of form the 24-year-old has been in, he will be eager to add to his tally and help his team build on their recent win.
Prediction
LA Galaxy 2-1 FC Dallas
LA Galaxy have been winless against FC Dallas since 2021. They have suffered five defeats in their last six outings. No doubt Dallas have had the upper hand over the home team in recent years but things might pan out differently this time around.
The team Los Angeles have had a great start to the season and they returned to winnings ways last time out and this is the perfect opportunity to build momentum. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
