Nashville SC at Charlotte FC: Score prediction, scouting report for MLS match

Nashville SC picked up a momentum-shifting victory with last Saturday's 4-1 win over CF Montreal. But even though their five-match winless streak is a thing of the past, they're not out of the woods just yet.

Nashville (2-3-5, 11 points) faces Charlotte FC (4-5-2, 14 points) on the road Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT, Apple TV), looking to sweep the season series after it beat Charlotte 2-1 at Geodis Park in March.

Nashville has yet to win away from home in MLS play this season. Their 0-2-1 road record includes a club-record 5-0 defeat at Los Angeles FC. Meanwhile, Charlotte is 4-1-1 at Bank of America Stadium, one of just six turf fields in the league — though NSC won its most recent game there on a 90th-minute goal by Hany Mukhtar last May.

Here's what to watch for Saturday:

Nashville not settling after win

Nashville's confidence ebbed over the course of its winless streak, according to coach Gary Smith. After beating Montreal, Smith called the win merely the "first step in a long journey" of restoring that confidence.

"The most important factor for us is not just to reinforce this, but to get on an unbeaten run," Smith said Saturday. "... It's a nice feeling, but I don't think anyone's going to get too excited about where we are at this point."

NSC sits 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, having jumped two spots by beating Montreal. A win against Charlotte could bring it as high as a tie for seventh, depending on other results this weekend.

"I think that edge is still about us as a team," midfielder Dru Yearwood said Thursday. "We need to go out now and do the same on Saturday."

Shaq Moore, Tyler Boyd getting back into the mix

The story of Nashville's season has been an ongoing rash of injuries, with Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore and Tyler Boyd, among others, all having missed significant time. Saturday's win was the first time all three of NSC's designated players took the field together in 2024.

Slowly, Nashville's lineup is returning to normal. Moore, who hasn't played since March 23 because of a hip injury, played 15 minutes in a closed-door scrimmage this week, and the right back is in a "much better place," according to Smith.

Boyd missed three games because of a groin issue, but the winger/midfielder played 13 minutes as a substitute against the San Jose Earthquakes and 22 minutes against Montreal. Smith said he's in contention to start against Charlotte.

Charlotte has size, young attacking talent

This isn't quite the same Charlotte team Nashville beat two months ago. They've incorporated designated player Liel Abada, a winger for the Israel national team who signed from Scottish club Celtic FC in March. Abada has one goal in five matches with Charlotte.

The 22-year-old Abada is one of a handful of young attackers on Charlotte's roster. Smith spoke complimentarily of Patrick Agyemang, who's scored twice in 10 games. According to Smith, Agyemang, 23, is a striker who can run at defenders and also use his 6-foot-4 frame to head in crosses. Iuri Tavares, 21, has a similar build at 6-3 but plays on the wing. Smith expects Charlotte to try to take advantage of their attackers' size.

"Those wide areas are very prominent for them," Smith said. "They're getting into good positions for delivery, they're putting themselves into good positions to get beyond."

Nashville SC at Charlotte FC score prediction

Nashville 1, Charlotte 0: Zimmerman's aerial presence neutralizes Charlotte's size, while Charlotte's form at home causes Nashville problems. Mukhtar scores a second-half goal in one of the few solid chances for either team.

MORE: How hat trick might get Nashville SC's Sam Surridge 'back on the straight and narrow'

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC vs. Charlotte FC MLS score prediction, scouting report