LAFC vs LA Galaxy: Derby Day in the Postseason Race
by Bradley Gibbs | by Bradley Gibbs
The time is now for both teams
Sunday’s LAFC vs LA Galaxy game is a key battle in the race for the postseason, especially as far the visitors are concerned.
For the Galaxy, the postseason remains very reachable. However, they are not in a secure place and cannot afford to take their foot off the gas. Greg Vanney’s men currently sit eighth in the Western Conference, four points clear of where they don’t want to be, though if they lose this game, which is highly possible, they really will be in a precarious position.
For Sunday’s hosts, the picture is much brighter. As they sit in sixth, the LAFC boys are six points clear of their rivals, which means that they also have a six-point cushion between them and the play-out game. If they win here, Marc Dos Santos’ troops will be marching straight into the automatic postseason spots.
LAFC vs LA Galaxy key details
This will be the second meeting between the two Los Angeles rivals during the 2026 campaign, with the pair facing off at Dignity Health Sports Park back in July. This time, they’ll do business at BMO Stadium, where the hosts have lost just one of their last ten competitive games.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash, here are the key details:
- Date: Sunday, October 25th
- Kickoff time: 21:00 EST
- Venue: BMO Stadium
- Where to watch: Apple TV
Galaxy not comfortable on the road
In general, in recent years, there hasn’t been much success for Sunday’s visitors when it comes to El Trafico. They’ve not won any of the last three renewals of this fixture, losing by three goals to zero when the pair met earlier in the campaign, but their form on the road has been particularly weak.
They did win at BMO Stadium in the US Open Cup back in 2023, but they’ve since failed to win three road El Trafico’s in the league, while they’ve not won any of their last seven MLS games on the road against their city rivals. They’ve lost five of those seven.
Since this fixture was first played on LAFC’s patch back in 2018, the Galaxy have won just one out of 12 MLS fixtures at BMO Stadium. A worrying record indeed.
Bouanga back for more?
In recent times, no player has enjoyed the buzz of Derby Day quite like Denis Bouanga, who really has come alive during El Trafico. When the teams met earlier in the season, the forward got his name on the scoresheet, continuing what is a fantastic run of goals in this fixture.
Denis Bouanga has now scored in each of the last seven renewals of this fixture, scoring a total of nine goals during that time. Clearly, the man from Gabon thrives under the pressure of facing LAFC’s city rivals.
This season, Bouanga has been in typically hot form, scoring 17 goals in 29 MLS appearances, averaging 0.62 goals per 90 minutes. He comes into this game having bagged at least one goal in each four of his last five league games, so it’s probably fair to say that he’ll be at the front of the scoring queue on Sunday. Dismiss him at your peril.
Those interested in betting on Bouanga to find the net for an eighth straight game against the Los Angeles Galaxy can get a best price of -125 (Fanatics). To score two or more, he’s available at odds of +425 (Caesars Sportsbook).
