COMMERCE CITY, Colo – The Colorado Rapids (8-7-4, 28 pts.) return to DICK'S Sporting Goods Park on a two-match win streak for a clash against CF Montréal (4-7-7, 19 pts.) on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT (Apple TV—MLS Season Pass, Altitude Sports Radio 950AM).
In what will be the first matchup against these two sides since August 3, 2019, the Rapids will attempt to continue their impressive all-time record against the Canadian club. Colorado holds a 5-1-2 record against Montréal in MLS play with a goal differential of +7. The opposition has only won one match in five attempts at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, which came on October 10, 2015.
The Rapids are entering Saturday’s match on a high, having won two-straight without conceding a goal. Following a 2-0 victory over Austin FC at home last Saturday, Colorado traveled to St. Louis and put on a dominant performance on the road. Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic recorded the first hat trick of his MLS career as he propelled his side to a convincing 0-3 win at CITYPARK.
Mihailovic continued his scorching hot run of form, recording his 12th, 13th, and 14th goal contributions of the season, all of which coming within the last 13 matches. The 25-year-old logged the first hat trick for the club since Gyasi Zardes scored three against Minnesota in August of 2022. He will look to continue this streak against his former club, where he played 61 regular-season games, having made 57 starts and logged 4,815 minutes in two seasons with CF Montréal in MLS.
On the other end of Saturday’s matchup is a Montréal side that is unbeaten in their last five matches with one win and four draws. In their most recent contest, they hosted the New York Red Bulls at Stade Saputo and earned a point in a 2-2 draw. After leading in the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Sunisu Ibrahim and Kwadwo Opoku, Montréal conceded two goals in the later portion of the match to settle for one point in the standings.
Saturday’s match will prove to be impactful in the respective conferences for both sides.
Colorado currently sits at fifth in a crowded Western Conference playoff picture. With just five points separating the fourth- through ninth-ranked teams, a positive result for the Rapids would aid in keeping pace with the rest of the pack as the season quickly passes by. For Montréal, a win could potentially vault them into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they try to continue their climb up the standings.
The Rapids have an opportunity to continue their goal-scoring prowess this season, as they currently rank fourth in the league in total goals scored with 34. Forward Rafael Navarro leads the way with his 10 goals on the season, having Mihailovic and Cole Bassett not far behind with eight and six, respectively. The Rapids will look to utilize that strength against a Montréal side that has allowed the third-most goals in MLS this season with 37.
