USA - Major League Soccer
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by Bradley Gibbs in Major League Soccer Picks
It's playoff season in Major League Soccer, which means that the heat really starts to turn up. On Wednesday evening, following the action in Chicago between the Fire and the Lions, the Portland Timbers will battle it out against Real Salt Lake, with only one team going through to the best-of-three round.
It looked as if the Timbers would sneak directly into the top seven and thus secure themselves a place in the best-of-three stage, without needing to go via the shootout game, but sadly, due to some poor end-of-season form, Phil Neville's men narrowly missed out. For RSL, the opposite is true, with Wednesday's visitors never really looking like being a top-seven team, sneaking into the top nine thanks to a decision-day tie against St. Louis City. Can they now kick on?
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Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Form
Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake Latest Matches
1/6 (17%)
2/6 (33%)
3/6 (50%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Oct 18, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Oct 4, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 27, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 24, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 20, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 13, 2025 - Major League Soccer
3/6 (50%)
1/6 (17%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Oct 18, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 27, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 13, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 16, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 2, 2025 - Leagues Cup
Jul 30, 2025 - Leagues Cup
0/6 (0%)
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Oct 4, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 24, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 20, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 30, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 23, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 9, 2025 - Major League Soccer
2/6 (33%)
1/6 (17%)
3/6 (50%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Oct 18, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Oct 11, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Oct 4, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 27, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 21, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 17, 2025 - Major League Soccer
4/6 (67%)
0/6 (0%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Oct 4, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 27, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 17, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 13, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 23, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 6, 2025 - Leagues Cup
0/6 (0%)
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
Oct 18, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Oct 11, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 21, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 16, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Aug 10, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Jul 30, 2025 - Leagues Cup
Portland Timbers against Real Salt Lake : Head to Head (H2H)
33 %
33 %
33 %
Average stats (last H2H results)
Jul 16, 2025 - Major League Soccer
May 14, 2025 - Major League Soccer
Sep 21, 2024 - Major League Soccer
Jul 13, 2024 - Major League Soccer
Oct 9, 2022 - Major League Soccer
Dec 4, 2021 - Major League Soccer
Portland Timbers - Real Salt Lake: Form Analysis
There's no doubt about it, the Timbers have struggled to get going in recent months, winning just one of their final ten regular-season games, and let's face it, such form is not what you want ahead of the playoffs. While many teams have surged into the postseason off the back of strong runs, Phil Neville's men have limped forward, which means that teams may see them as a side that is very much there for the taking.
You certainly wouldn't say that RSL have been super from a form point of view ahead of the postseason, but they have done a better job than Wednesday's hosts of securing positive results, winning two of their last four regular-season games, losing only one of those. Will such form help them to secure the win here?
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Portland Timbers against Real Salt Lake Lineups: Starting 11
Formation : 4 - 3 - 3
Formation : 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Missing players
Z. McGraw
MidfielderF. Carballo
M. Rojas
ForwardJ. Rodriguez
Z. MacMath
DefenderK. Henry
J. Brown
ForwardM. Bell
Portland Timbers & Real Salt Lake Squad Analysis
Phil Neville will be sweating on the fitness of Antony, who has reprotedly been nursing a minor injury over the last few days. The Brazilian is expected to be in the squad but could be set for a role on the bench. Felipe Carballo continues to be out, as does Jonathan Javier Rodriguez, who is a long-term absentee.
There are no fresh injury concerns for the visitors to contend with, leaving Pablo Mastroeni to name his strongest XI. Defender Jose Bonilla remains out, while both Matthew Bell and Javain Brown are also sidelined, as has been the case for a while.
Most goals and assists
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
K. Kelsy
(7 Goals)
, 
F. Mora
(7 Goals)
, 
A. Alves Santos
(7 Goals)
D. Luna
(9 Goals)
D. Da Costa
(6 Assists)
D. Goncalves
(5 Assists)
Portland Timbers - Real Salt Lake Key Points
- Only one RSL player has taken more shots than Diego Luna this season.
- No RSL player has scored more MLS goals than Diego Luna in 2025.
- In 2025, Diego Luna averages 0.36 goals per 90 minutes.
- Diego Luna has scored in big games this season against the likes of the Whitecaps (x2) and San Diego.
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Our Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Prediction
Big games call for big-game players, and Diego Luna is certainly that for RSL. The USA star knows how to pull his team through, and having scored some big goals this season, I'm taking Luna to notch at odds of +290. Luna is capable of doing damage from range, while he's also very good at breaking beyond the forward on the break, which bodes well given that the hosts keep being exposed on the counter. Our Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Pick: Diego Luna to Score.
Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake - Other Interesting Picks
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All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
