Orlando City welcomes Montreal Impact to Exploria Stadium in their opening fixture of the 2022 MLS Eastern Conference campaign this Sunday. Kickoffs at 21:00 EAT.
Orlando City enters the new season with high ambitions with the likes of Alexandre Pato and Tesho Akindele still in the team. A lot is expected from the newest signing, the 21-year-old Uruguayan forward Facundo Torres. Orlando City paid $9 million to sign the talented Uruguayan and it will be very interesting to follow his progress in Florida.
Óscar Pareja side will want to start the year with a positive note having lost 3-1 in the MLS Cup Playoffs to Nashville. In that game, Orlando City managed 54% possession, eight shots with two of them on target and a goal scored by Daryl Dike (14′). Nashville got nine shots with six of them on target and goals by Mukhtar (21′, 74′) and Jhonder Cádiz (94′).
Montreal on the other hand had another disappointing campaign in the previous term of MLS where they finished tenth on the Eastern conference regular season. Montreal, however, rescued the season by beating Toronto in the final of the Canadian Championship, securing their fifth domestic trophy and earning a place in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Wilfried Nancy’s side head into this fixture off the back of 3-0 CONCACAF Champions League win over Santos Laguna in their last match. In that game, Montreal had 58% possession, 10 shots with six of them on target and goals scored by Romell Quioto 9’, Dorde Mihailovic 22’ and Ismael Kenneth Jordan Kone 61’. Santos Laguna got nine shots with two of them on target.
Orlando City vs Montreal head to head
These two sides have 18 matches against each other since 2015. Orlando claims eight victories, Montreal seven victories and there have been three draws.
- Montreal 0-2 Orlando 07/11/21
- Orlando 1-1 Montreal 21/10/21
- Orlando 2-4 Montreal 16/09/21
- Montreal 0-1 Orlando 02/11/20
- Orlando 1-0 Montreal 26/07/20
Home
- Orlando 3-1 Tampa Bay
- Orlando 2-2 Cincinnati
- Orlando 1-1 Colorado
- Orlando 4-5 Minnesota
- Nashville 3-1 Orlando
Away
- Montreal 3-0 Santos Laguna
- Santos Laguna 1-0 Montreal
- Philadelphia 2-1 Montreal
- Miami 1-2 Montreal
- New York City 2-2 Montreal
Orlando City team news
The hosts prepares for this fixture without any fitness concerns.
Montreal Impact team news
For the visitors, Rudy Camacho will serve a one-game suspension over a red card picked up in the final game of the 2021 regular season.
Prediction and odds
We are backing Orlando City who lost only one of the last five games they hosted to Montreal who wasn’t so lucky in two of the last three matches they played away from home, which ended with a loss.
- Orlando City Win
- Draw
- Both teams to score
