Marco Donadel believes CF Montreal require a bit of luck, as they aim to end their winless start to the season against Orlando City.

Montreal have the worst record in the entire MLS through the first eight matches, having lost six and won none of those games.

Donadel has been in interim charge for the past three games following the sacking of Laurent Courtois, taking one point from a possible nine.

However, Donadel is taking encouragement from what he saw in last week's 1-0 home loss to Charlotte FC ahead of Orlando's visit.

"We tried everything. If we had been a little luckier, we could have scored four or five goals," he told reporters. 

"We gave our all on the pitch, and we gave our all during the week. I couldn't ask for more from [the players] right now. 

"The guys did exactly what we tried to do. We want to play well and lead the game, because in the long run, we have a better chance of winning."

Orlando are themselves winless in two matches after playing out back-to-back 0-0 draws against Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls.

The Lions are also unbeaten in five, though, and occupy seventh place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the clash at Saputo Stadium.

City head coach Oscar Parejo, who signed a contract extension this week, is now looking to find the right balance between defence and attack.

"It's a tricky moment in the season as teams are adjusting to many things, and in Montreal's case, to a new head coach," he said. 

"But we must show the same seriousness and the intention to win an important match for us. It's important we continue ascending our level.

"We have to get a good balance. Sometimes, we score a lot, but they score a lot as well."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Montreal - Dante Sealy

Sealy was Montreal's most creative player in their loss to Charlotte last time out, but none of the five chances he registered were converted.

Donadel will want to see a more clinical edge this weekend, with his side the first in MLS history to not lead through any of their first eight matches.

Orlando - Marco Pasalic

Pasalic, a close-season arrival from HNK Rijeka, started the campaign in impressive form with four goals and an assist in his first five matches.

However, the Croatian has now gone three games without a goal involvement, and that has to change if Orlando are to end their scoring drought.

MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO WIN

The home side in this fixture are unbeaten in eight successive meetings since 2022, but Orlando enter this latest encounter as favourites.

Orlando are the 55th side in MLS history to play out two straight 0-0 draws, with Colorado Rapids the only side to do so three times in a row in 2015.

City have lost only five of their past 20 away matches – a record only Columbus Crew and Inter Miami can better (two each) over that period.

Montreal's two points from eight games is the joint second-worst in MLS history, with only Toronto FC (none in 2012) performing worse.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

CF Montreal - 27.4%

Draw - 24%

Orlando City - 48.5 %