By Alex Thierry
New York City FC and Necaxa face off in Matchday 3 of the Leagues Cup on Thursday at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- 1st matchup all-time between the two sides
- Record at Leagues Cup: Necaxa (2-8), New York City FC (6-7).
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Necaxa:
- 2 Wins, 0 Draws, 3 Losses
- New York City FC:
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
MAIN STORYLINES
- New York City FC must win in regulation time and rely on other results to qualify for the quarterfinals.
- All of New York City FC's goals in this year's Leagues Cup have been scored by defenders
- With a victory, Pascal Jansen would become the NYCFC Head Coach with the most wins in the club's history in the Leagues Cup, reaching a total of three victories.
- Necaxa is eliminated from contention and will look to bow out of the tournament with a win.
- Both teams faced each other in a friendly match in Mexico on October 7, 2016, with Necaxa emerging victorious.
KEY FACTORS
- Necaxa
- The defense has been a problem for Necaxa as they´ve allowed 10 goals in their past 5 games.
- Playing on the road has been a struggle, they haven't won a road game across all competition since January.
- Former Union player Julian Carranza is Necaxa´s most important piece in attack, he's scored 3 goals already in the Apertura but has been held scoreless in Leagues Cup.
- New York City FC:
- Have a 7-5-6 MLS record has kept the club firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
- Nico Fernández Mercau co-leads MLS with 13 goals
- Tayvon Gray, Nico Cavallo, and Max Murray have been NYCFC's scorers in the 2026 Leagues Cup.
- Matt Freese is the all-time Leagues Cup leader in saves with 34.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Necaxa enters the match eliminated from the tournament but looking to regain momentum before returning to Liga MX action. New York City FC, meanwhile, enters the final matchday with a narrow path to the Quarterfinals that depends on the results of other matches.
The Mexican side needs to improve defensively after conceding five goals through its first two matches. Head coach Martín Varini returns to the bench and will look to reorganize a team that started the Liga MX season in strong form with consecutive victories.
New York City FC will look to capitalize on its chances and continue getting attacking contributions from its defenders, while the midfielders and forwards will be eager to join them on the scoresheet. Regardless of the qualification scenario, a strong performance could provide valuable momentum before New York City FC returns to MLS action.
Polymarket has New York City FC as the favorite heading into Thursday’s matchup, earning 58% of the market compared to 19% for Necaxa.
