New York City FC head coach Pascal Jansen hopes his side can find their rhythm when they host FC Cincinnati ahead of an action-packed month in MLS.

Jansen's side are clinging onto the final play-off position in the Eastern Conference standings after a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC last time out.

New York will play seven league games across May, and Jansen acknowledged a crucial stretch that could be decisive for their post-season hopes.

"It’s an exciting month ahead, and this is what you live for as a player – getting the chance to play as many games as possible," Jansen said.

"Rotating players is always in the back of my mind, but we take it one game at a time.

"First, it's Cincinnati. Once that’s done, we move on to the next one. That’s the rhythm we’ll keep, especially during a month like this."

Jansen pinpointed the threats Cincinnati, who lead the Eastern Conference after their 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, will pose ahead of the meeting at Citi Field.

"It’s about focusing on our own qualities and principles, especially when we’re in possession," Jansen added.

"Out of possession, we need discipline. We've analysed Cincinnati closely, and we know they have talented players – Evander being one of them."

“Understanding his tendencies from previous matches helps us prepare. It’s especially important during transitions or when we're defending without the ball."

The visitors will prove a tough challenge given they are once again in the hunt for the Supporters' Shield, just a point behind the Vancouver Whitecaps for first overall.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City FC – Alonso Martinez

Alonso Martinez scored the winner against Toronto on Saturday, keeping up his fine form this MLS campaign.

Martinez has six goals this season, becoming the third player to score at least six times for the Pigeons in the first 10 matches of a season (David Villa in 2016 and 2017, Valentin Castellanos in 2022).

FC Cincinnati – Evander

Evander has six goals for Cincinnati this term, leading the team scoring charts with Kevin Denkey.

The Brazilian failed to find the net in his last outing, but managed five goals across his three games beforehand – and will be keen to rediscover that form here.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

The Opta supercomputer backed New York as the narrow favourites across 10,000 pre-match simulations, however, a draw could be the most likely result here.

That is due to both sides being in form – Cincinnati have won five straight regular-season matches for the third time in club history (seven straight in 2024, six straight in 2023).

All five of those victories have been by one-goal margins, while the only team in MLS history to record six straight one-goal wins was D.C. United in June-July 2006.

The Pigeons have won five of their last six regular-season home matches (L1), including recording a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union in their last home match on April 12.

New York have scored in 23 of their last 24 home league matches dating back to late August 2023, though their head-to-head record with the visitors remains mixed.

These two sides met six times last campaign, with Cincinnati winning three times to NYCFC’s two (D1), though the Pigeons advanced in the first round of the play-offs after winning a shoot-out following a third-leg draw.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City FC win – 42%

Draw – 26.7%

FC Cincinnati win – 31.3%