Nashville hold a meaningful edge in underlying quality: their xG-for (1.88) outstrips Columbus's xG-for (1.42), while Columbus's xG-against (1.91) is the worst of the four figures, suggesting Nashville's attack should find openings. Columbus also arrive with three key attackers unavailable (W. Abou Ali, S. Bangoura, J. Thiare), significantly blunting their offensive options and making it harder to threaten Nashville's backline.