
Saturday, October 24, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Audi Field — Washington, D.C. Competition: MLS Regular Season Streaming: Apple TV FC Cincinnati Record: 10-11-9, 39 points D.C. United Record: 7-11-12, 33 points Moneyline: FC Cincinnati +125 | Draw +310 | D.C. United +185 Over/Under: 3.5 Goals
FC Cincinnati and D.C. United meet for the second time in four days Saturday night when the Orange and Blue travel to Audi Field for another critical late-season Eastern Conference matchup.
Cincinnati won Wednesday’s first meeting 2-1 at TQL Stadium, moving to 39 points and eighth place in the Eastern Conference with four regular-season games remaining. David Douděra opened the scoring in the 14th minute, Kimito Nono equalized for D.C. in the 38th, and Teenage Hadebe scored the winner from an Evander assist in the 55th.
The rematch will be much different simply because of the location.
Cincinnati has struggled away from TQL Stadium this season, posting a 2-7-6 road record through 15 away matches. The Orange and Blue have also conceded 71 goals through 30 league matches, leaving little margin for defensive mistakes.
Still, Cincinnati possesses the more dangerous attacking personnel.
Kévin Denkey leads FCC with 17 goals and five assists, while Evander has 13 goals and a club-high 14 assists. That combination gives Cincinnati two players capable of deciding a match with one moment of quality.
Wednesday demonstrated that Cincinnati does not necessarily need Denkey or Evander to score to win. Douděra and Hadebe both scored their first FCC goals, giving Pat Noonan contributions from unexpected sources. Cincinnati finished with 15 shots and six on target.
D.C. should feel it left opportunities on the field.
The Black-and-Red held 51.4 percent possession, earned nine corners to Cincinnati’s six and produced 12 shots. Nono’s equalizer gave D.C. momentum before Hadebe restored Cincinnati’s advantage early in the second half.
D.C.’s biggest scoring threat remains Tai Baribo, who leads the club with 16 goals and is five-for-five from the penalty spot. Nono has also become increasingly dangerous, scoring three goals in his last five matches, while João Peglow leads D.C. with six assists.
The urgency is obvious. Cincinnati wants to strengthen its playoff position, while D.C. desperately needs points to close the six-point gap.
Soccer player markets vary by sportsbook. Confirm final prices and starting lineups before wagering.
Denkey did not score Wednesday, but he remains Cincinnati’s most likely finisher.
With 17 goals and five assists, he has been Cincinnati’s primary scoring threat throughout the season.
D.C. will likely play more aggressively at home, potentially creating additional transition opportunities for Cincinnati.
If Evander finds Denkey in space, FCC’s leading scorer should have chances.
Peglow assisted Nono’s goal Wednesday and leads D.C. United with six assists this season.
The current market has Peglow over 0.5 assists around +400, providing a high-risk, high-reward option.
He also handles a significant share of D.C.’s set-piece service, including 46 corners this season.
Wednesday’s match finished 2-1, and there is little reason to expect either club to become significantly more conservative.
D.C. needs points and should attack more aggressively at home. Cincinnati has Denkey and Evander but continues to show defensive vulnerability on the road.
Baribo, Nono and Peglow give D.C. enough attacking quality to threaten Cincinnati again.
The main total is 3.5 goals, with the under currently around -120 at several sportsbooks.
These teams just combined for three goals Wednesday.
With the rematch coming only three days later, both coaching staffs know exactly what caused problems in the first meeting and should make adjustments accordingly.
A 2-1 or 1-1 result fits both the matchup and the current market.
Kévin Denkey — FC Cincinnati: Leads Cincinnati with 17 goals and remains the club’s primary finisher.
Evander — FC Cincinnati: Has 13 goals and 14 assists and provided the assist on Hadebe’s winner Wednesday.
Teenage Hadebe — FC Cincinnati: Scored Wednesday’s winning goal and will also have an important defensive role against Baribo.
Tai Baribo — D.C. United: D.C.’s leading scorer with 16 goals and the player Cincinnati must prevent from receiving quality service inside the penalty area.
Kimito Nono — D.C. United: Has three goals in his last five matches and scored Wednesday’s equalizer.
João Peglow — D.C. United: Leads D.C. with six assists and created Nono’s goal in the first meeting.
FC Cincinnati 2, D.C. United 1
FC Cincinnati Moneyline +125Under 3.5 Goals Both Teams to Score — Yes Kévin Denkey Anytime Goalscorer
D.C. should be more dangerous at Audi Field, particularly against a Cincinnati team that has won only twice away from home this season.
The Black-and-Red showed Wednesday that they can control stretches of possession and create enough opportunities to threaten Cincinnati. Nono is in strong form, while Baribo remains one of the most dangerous scorers on the field.
But Cincinnati has more proven match-winners.
Denkey and Evander provide an attacking combination D.C. must constantly account for, and Wednesday also showed that Cincinnati can receive scoring contributions from elsewhere in the lineup.
The biggest concern is Cincinnati’s road defense. If the Orange and Blue avoid giving Baribo easy opportunities and handle D.C.’s set pieces better than they did Wednesday, they should create enough offense to complete the rare back-to-back sweep.
Prediction: FC Cincinnati 2, D.C. United 1.
Current markets list FC Cincinnati around +117 to +127, D.C. United around +163 to +186 and the draw around +270 to +317. The primary total is 3.5 goals. Confirm final odds, injuries and starting lineups before kickoff.
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