Preview & Prediction: Austin FC vs Portland Timbers

In the forthcoming clash between Austin FC and Portland Timbers at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas on May 30th, Austin, showing great form, is the favorite with win odds of 1.95 against Portland’s 3.60. Austin’s impressive home win rate at 63% and a formidable unbeaten home game streak of 7 games have fueled their dominance. On their recent form, they’ve accumulated 8 points from their past 5 games, and have consistently scored in all home games this season. In contrast, the Portland Timbers, though not in their best away performance, have garnered 6 points from their past 5 encounters and have a knack of scoring, as seen in their last 4 games.

Looking back at their historical head-to-head matchups, out of the 7, Austin has been victorious in 2, whereas Portland Timbers have triumphed in 4, with 1 ending in a draw. Last time they went head-to-head, Austin emerged victorious with a 4-1 scoreline. The matches between these teams have been quite thrilling, averaging 3.29 goals with BTTS resulting 71% of the time. For the season so far in the MLS, Austin has averaged 2.13 Points Per Game in home games and Portland Timbers 0.63 Points Per Game in away games.

In conclusion, considering both teams’ recent performance and historical matchups, Austin looks set to extend their impressive home form, with a high chance of both teams scoring. Nevertheless, the outcome of this match could very well depend on who capitalizes on their chances as both teams have proven that they can find the back of the net.

Insights

• Austin FC is in good form, picking up an average of 1.6 points from the last 5 games.
• Austin FC is particularly strong at home, having won the last 5 consecutive games and remaining unbeaten in the last 7 fixtures on their home turf.
• The team has a consistent record of scoring, managing to find the back of the net in the last 8 home games, and in every home game this season.
• The team’s defense is solid with them going 3 games without defeat.
• Out of the last 5 games, Austin FC has only lost one, winning 2 and drawing 2.
• Both teams scoring has been a common theme in Austin’s games – it’s happened in 53% of all matches this season and in 3 of the last 5 matches.
• Although slightly behind Austin FC in form, Portland Timbers still manages to scrape an average of 1.2 points from the last 5 games.
• Portland Timbers have also shown a knack for goals, having scored in the last 4 games and a total of 8 goals in their last 5 fixtures.
• Games involving Portland Timbers tend to be high-scoring affairs, with the team’s last 11 games all witnessing 2 or more goals.
• Similar to Austin, games involving Portland also tend to see both teams scoring, this has happened in 87% of all their matches this season and in 4 of the last 5 matches.
• The trend of the previous meetings between the two teams indicates a high scoring game, with an average of 3.29 goals per game and both teams scoring in 71% of the games.
• History is slightly in favor of Portland, who won 4 out of the 7 past encounters, compared to Austin’s 2 wins. However, considering current form, Austin, with home advantage, is more likely to emerge victoriously.
• The match on 30th May 2024 is predicted to be an intriguing clash based on their current form and previous encounters, with a higher chance for Austin to win, reflected by their lower odds of 1.95 compared to Portland’s 3.60.
• Portland Timbers has poor away performance, with an average of only 0.63 points per game, compared to Austin’s strong home performance that sees them averaging 2.13 points per game.

Match Forecast

• Austin FC will likely take advantage of their strength in attacking down the wings and Portland Timbers’ weakness in defending against such attacks.
• Portland Timbers’ will look for counter-attack opportunities, given Austin FC’s deficit in defending counter-attacks.
• Both teams share weakness in defending set pieces, so expect some goals or opportunities from set pieces from both sides.
• Austin FC’s possession football game might be disrupted due to Portland Timbers’ aggressive play style.
• Given their tendency to attempt crosses often, both teams might find luck from wide areas and crossing scenarios.
• Portland Timbers’ strong ability to create long shot opportunities could exploit Austin FC’s weakness in defending against long shots.
• Austin FC may face challenges defending against Timbers’ players with strong individual skills due to their inability to stop opponents from creating chances.
• Both teams might try to play more defensively due to their respective weaknesses in avoiding fouling in dangerous areas.
• The game is likely to see a higher number of fouls, given both team’s poor discipline.

Match Facts

In their past 7 encounters, Austin FC claimed victory twice, the teams drew once, and Portland Timbers won four times. Portland Timbers have a 12-11 advantage in terms of goal difference. Reviewing last season: Austin FC was defeated 1-2 on their home turf and drew 2-2 at Portland’s home ground. In the MLS, Austin FC boasts five consecutive at-home victories. In contrast, Portland Timbers has suffered three successive away match losses in the MLS. An interesting stat shows Austin FC normally score 26% of their goals between minutes 46 and 60, while Portland Timbers commonly get about 31% of their goals within the 76-90 minute mark. Austin’s home-winning streak stands at 5 straight matches, with the team not suffering any losses in their last seven home encounters. Portland on the other hand have three back-to-back away match deficits and no victories in their past seven away games. Out of their 8 home games in the MLS season, Austin FC has scored every time, whereas the Portland Timbers failed to score in 2 of their 8 away matches. The home record for Austin FC this season is 5-2-1 and for Portland Timbers, it’s 1-2-5 when away. Austin FC’s Sebastian Driussi leads with 5 goals while Portland Timbers’ Felipe Mora sits atop with 6. The player with the most yellow cards in Austin FC is Julio Cascante (7), while Kamal Miller is leading in Portland Timbers with 4 yellow cards. Portland Timbers has a goal concede streak of 17 matches. Austin FC claims the first half in 20% of their games, while Portland Timbers does so in about 32% of their matches. Their last face-off seen a victory for Portland Timbers with a winning margin by 1 goal. When Austin FC has a 1-0 lead at home, they win about 70% of the time, and when Portland Timbers leads 0-1 away, they win approximately a quarter of their games. When Austin FC is down 0-1 at home, they claim victory in about 30% of their games. On the flip side, when Portland Timbers fall behind 1-0 away, they walk away with a win in about 9% of their games. Currently, Austin FC is showcasing a stronger performance than Portland Timbers in the MLS. Out of their last 5 encounters, Portland Timbers lost none against Austin FC across all types of matches. In the last 5 head-to-heads, Portland Timbers won four and one was a stalemate, with the Timbers not losing any against Austin FC in their last five MLS meet-ups. Austin FC, on the other hand, has not won any of their last five MLS games against Portland Timbers. The average number of goals in the fixture is approximately 2.8 with Austin FC and Portland Timbers scoring an average of 0.8 and 2 goals respectively. The average number of first half goals in this fixture is around 1. When playing at home, Austin FC averages 1.96 goals while Portland Timbers average 1.16 when playing away.