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Sporting KC and Colorado Rapids will trade tackles at the Children's Mercy Park on Sunday, with three points at stake in the MLS.
The hosts sit third in the Western Conference with 30 points from 18 matches, while Colorado Rapids are further below in 11th with 19 points, although they have played five matches fewer.
Sporting KC come into this game on the back of a 2-2 draw with Chicago Fire, while Rapids were emphatic in their 5-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes.
Sporting Kansas City vs Colorado Rapids Head-to-Head
The two teams have met on 34 occasions in the past and there is very little to separate them in terms of their head-to-head record.
Sporting KC have recorded 13 wins, scoring 50 goals and conceding 42, while Rapids were victorious on 11 occasions. Ten previous matches ended in a stalemate.
The latest fixture between the sides came in August when they shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
Sporting KC form guide: W-W-W-L-D
Colorado Rapids: D-W-L-W-W
Sporting Kansas City vs Colorado Rapids Team News
Sporting KC
The hosts will be without two players, as Graham Zusi (ankle) and Felipe Gutierrez Leiva (knee) are both sidelined with injuries. There are no suspension worries for Sporting KC.
Injuries: Graham Zusi, Felipe Gutierrez Leiva
Suspension: None
Colorado Rapids
The visitors have been hit with a raft of injuries in recent months and currently have six players sidelined with fitness issues.
Coach Robin Fraser will be without Deklan Wynne (virus), Andre Shinyashiki (virus), Diego Rubio (virus), Younes Namli (knock), Kortne Ford (knee), and Niki Jackson (ACL) due to fitness issues.
Kellyn Acosta will also be sidelined after picking up a red card suspension.
Injuries: Diego Rubio, Kortne Ford, Younes Namli, Niki Jackson , Andre Shinyashiki, Deklan Wynne
Suspension: Kellyn Acosta
Sporting Kansas City vs Colorado Rapids Predicted XI
Sporting KC Predicted XI (4-3-3): Tim Melia; Amadou Dia, Winston Reid, Roberto Puncec, Jaylin Lindsay; Felipe Hernandez, Ilie Sanchez, Gianluca Busio; Khiry Shelton, Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell
Colorado Rapids Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): William Yarbrough; Sam Vines, Drew Moor, Lalas Abubakar, Keegan Rosenberry; Cole Bassett, Jack Price; Jonathan Lewis, Braian Galvan, Cole Bassett; Kei Kamara
Sporting Kansas City vs Colorado Rapids Prediction
The hosts have been one of the most consistent sides in the MLS this season, and in fairness, Colorado Rapids have shown marked improvements in recent weeks.
The visitors have what it takes to earn something from this match but Sporting KC will likely do enough to edge a tightly-contested fixture.
Prediction: Sporting KC 2-1 Colorado Rapids
