Real Salt Lake vs New England Revolution Predictions

A heavy defeat for Real Salt Lake last time out has given LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps even more hope that they will overtake the sixth placed club and claim a spot in the Western Conference play-off this season. This weekend Real can’t afford anymore slip-ups when they play hosts to Eastern Conference side New England, and while the visitors have faint hopes of still making the play-offs its highly unlikely we will see them there this season.

Jeremy Ebobisse’s thirty-third minute strike was enough to give Portland Timbers the lead in Salt Lake City, and it was that strike that separated the two clubs at the half time interval. Hosts Real Salt Lake got back onto level terms just ten minutes after the restart through Savarino, but a three minute brace from Blanco saw the visitors pull two goals clear.

As Real pushed forward in search of a goal that would get them back into this match, Portland Timbers eventually ended any hopes of a comeback with a goal on the counter attack from Melano to wrap up a 4-1 win in the eighty-eighth minute. Real certainly weren’t as bad as the final scoreline suggests and had 55% of the overall possession, six corners to the visitors one, and saw four of their eight shots hit the target.

With eleven goals in the MLS this season Kreilach currently top scores for real Salt lake, but teammate Rusnák is just one behind and the pair look set to battle all the way to the final day of the season to see who finish as the clubs top goalscorer. New England’s Penilla and Bunbury are in an almost identical situation, with the Colombian leading the way with twelve league goals and his American teammate one behind with two games left to play.

Penilla moved a goal ahead of Bunbury with the opening goal of the game last weekend at home to struggling Orlando City, but the home faithful had to wait until the sixth minute of the second half to see their side take a deserved lead.

New England completely dominated the entire ninety minutes against Orlando and should have been a few goals ahead at the break, but two quick goals early in the second half from Penilla and Fagúndez wrapped up a 2-0 win for the hosts.

New England had 64% of the possession in that match, as well as an astonishing twelve corners, fourteen shots on target, and six off target and could have scored into double figures on any other day. The Orlando City goal lead a charmed life and it looks to have proved costly for New England as their chances of making the play-offs are going to come down to goal difference if they win their remaining games and the two teams above them lose theirs.

We’re confident that both teams will score in this game and that over 2.5 goals will be produced, with the final scoreline reading 2-1 to Real Salt Lake. Five of the last six matches between these two clubs have produced over 2.5 goals, while three of the last six matches between these two clubs have seen both teams score. Four of Real Salt lakes’ and four of New England’s last six matches have seen both teams score, and three of the hosts and three of the visitors last six matches have produced over 2.5 goals.