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Chicago Fire FC and New England Revolution will trade tackles at SeatGeek Stadium on Sunday, with three points on the line in the MLS.
Both teams will be keen to start their Eastern Conference campaign on a winning note to put them in good stead for the rest of the season.
This will be their first competitive fixture in over four months. Chicago Fire FC were last in action in November 2020 and lost their last game of the regular season 3-4 to New York City FC on home turf.
The New England Revolution made it all the way to the final of the Eastern Conference Playoffs final but fell to a 1-0 defeat to eventual champions Columbus Crew.
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A second-half strike by Artur was enough to give the Crew the crucial win.
Chicago Fire FC vs New England Revolution Head-to-Head
This will be the 72nd meeting between the sides and there is little to separate both sides historically.
Chicago Fire FC have the marginal advantage with 29 wins, while the Revs were victorious in 28 previous matches. Both sides shared the spoils in 14 games.
Their most recent meeting came on 7 September 2020, when a brace from Teal Bunbury helped New England Revolution pick up a 2-1 away win.
The two sides have kept themselves busy with warm-up games since March ahead of the new MLS season.
Chicago Fire FC form guide (friendlies): L-W-D-L-W
New England Revolution form guide (friendlies): D-W-D-L-L
Chicago Fire FC vs New England Revolution Team News
Chicago Fire
The hosts have three players currently sidelined through injury. Kenneth Kronholm (ACL), Stanislav Ivanov and Fabian Herbers are all unavailable for selection.
There are no suspension worries for head coach Raphael Wicky.
Injuries: Stanislav Ivanov, Kenneth Kronholm, Fabian Herbers
Suspension: None
New England Revolution
Luis Alberto Caidedo will undergo a scan on his meniscus injury to determine his availability. There are no suspension concerns for the visitors.
Injury: None
Doubtful: Luis Alberto Caiccedo
Suspension: None
Chicago Fire FC vs New England Revolution Predicted XI
Chicago Fire FC Predicted XI (4-3-3): Bobby Shuttleworth (GK); Jonathan Bornstein, Johan Kappelhof, Boris Sekulic, Miguel Navarro; Luka Stojanovic, Alvaro Medran, Mauricio Pineda; Chinonso Offor, Robert Beric, Gaston Gimenez
New England Revolution Predicted XI (4-4-2): Brad Knighton (GK): Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, Brandon Bye, Jon Bell, DeJuan Jones; Lucas Maciel, Scott Caldwell, Matt Plster; Gustavo Bou, Justin Rennicks, Tajon Buchanan
Chicago Fire FC vs New England Revolution Prediction
New England Revolution are slight favorites heading into this clash but Chicago Fire are capable of getting the job done at home. The visitors were one of the most conservative sides in the league last season and similar tactics are expected to be deployed this term.
Neither side is particularly potent in attack and we expect this to be a cagey affair. We are predicting a narrow victory for the New England Revolution in a game of few chances.
Prediction: Chicago Fire FC 0-1 New England Revolution
