Interim CF Montreal head coach Marco Donadel believes his team can take confidence from their displays in the Leagues Cup break into their final 10 games of the MLS season.
Donadel watched on as his side were beaten 2-1 by Puebla in their third match of the group phase, following a penalty shoot-out win over Leon and a defeat to Toluca.
Montreal finished 16th in the MLS standings and were eliminated from the competition, meaning full focus now returns to moving themselves off the bottom of the league table.
They are just a point adrift of D.C. United at the wrong end of the Eastern Conference, but Montreal did win their last MLS match 3-1 against the New England Revolution.
Donadel’s side face fellow strugglers Atlanta United at Stade Saputo next, and the Montreal boss believes their experience in the Leagues Cup will stand them in good stead.
“I’m proud of my guys. I think Montreal should always play with that intensity and mentality. That’s the basis for us,” Donadel said.
“It will be easier for us to correct mistakes with this mentality. In the end, we have to immediately conclude this window of the Leagues Cup and Puebla.
“Tomorrow morning we will start training and recovering. In three days, we have another very important match.”
Atlanta were another team to fall at the first hurdle in the Leagues Cup in midweek, but ended their campaign on a high with a 4-1 thrashing of Atlas at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Jamal Thiare’s penalty was followed up with goals from Aleksey Miranchuk and Saba Lobjanidze in a rampant first-half display before Cayman Togashi sealed the win late on.
It was a much-needed triumph for Ronny Deila’s side, who had not won a game across all competitions since May 29, a run of 10 matches that brought six defeats.
“It gave us an opportunity tonight to rest people,” Atlanta assistant Kenny Miller said following their win over Atlas in midweek.
“Guys who have had a lot of minutes over the course of the season and give guys who have been knocking on the door a chance.
“Every single one of them can go home and be really proud of the performance tonight. It’s important we finish strong in the last 10 games of the season.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Montreal – Giacomo Vrioni
Vrioni has often thrived in fixtures against Atlanta, scoring four goals in five career regular-season matches against them, his most against any opponent in league play.
All four of those goals were scored in the three home matches Vrioni played against the Five Stripes as a member of the New England Revolution, though.
Atlanta – Miguel Almiron
Almiron has been in fine form of late, recording an assist in each of his last three regular-season matches for Atlanta.
The midfielder, who registered four in a row in 2017, is one of two players with a longer streak in the Five Stripes’ MLS history (Hector Villalba – five straight in 2018).
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Atlanta have conceded two goals in each of their last two matches against Montreal, but avoided defeat both times, advancing on penalties after a 2-2 draw in last year’s play-in match before recording a 3-2 home win in the season-opener this year.
But Deila’s team are winless in eight straight regular-season matches (D4 L4) though they have managed to draw four of their last five. Atlanta have only two longer regular-season winless runs, which came in a 12-match span in 2021 and a nine-match streak in 2024.
Montreal, meanwhile, have seen three of their four regular-season wins in 2025 come away from home, with their only home triumph coming against New York City FC in June.
They have won only one of their first 11 home matches of the campaign, while only four teams in league history have recorded one win in their first 12 at home in a season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Montreal – 39.9%
Draw – 26.6%
Atlanta – 33.5%
