The first Canadian Classique match of the domestic season will take place on Saturday at Saputo Stadium as part of MLS Rivalry Week between CF Montreal and Toronto, who last faced each other at BMO Field four days earlier.
Montreal defeated the Reds 2-1 on Tuesday in the Canadian Championship, moving on to the semi-finals and winning their fifth straight game overall. Both teams are currently on 12 points, two points below a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Montreal appeared to have hit rock-bottom through the first seven games of the domestic season, finishing last in the Eastern Conference with just three points and suffering six losses without scoring, several of which were lopsided outcomes.
Montreal has put itself back in the playoff conversation by winning three straight MLS games without conceding a goal during that period. To Hernan Losada and his team's credit, they have rallied despite having a number of veterans out due to injury and many poor performances early on.
A pair of goals four minutes apart late in the opening half on Tuesday helped put Montreal through to the final four at the Canadian Championship. At the same time, they enter this contest with back-to-back victories over the Reds at Saputo Stadium in all competitions, shutting them out each time 1-0.
The last three domestic games for TFC have been full of variance from one game to the next, with two sluggish starts and questionable defence interspersed with their best performance of the season.
Unfortunately for Bob Bradley, he witnessed his team start slowly against New England Revolution last week, conceding within the first 20 minutes and losing 2-0. They have lost 20 straight regular-season games when they give up the first goal.
Toronto is winless through their first five away fixtures in this competition and has also lost their last three MLS away clashes against Canadian opponents.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Montreal vs Toronto kick-off time
| Date: | May 13, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT |
| Venue: | Saputo Stadium |
Montreal CF and Toronto FC face off on May 13 at Saputo Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 4:30 pm Pacific Time (PT)
How to watch Montreal vs Toronto online - TV channels & live streams
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
The game will not be broadcast live on TV but will be available to stream live online through Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Team news & squads
Montreal team news
CF Montreal is dealing with a host of injuries at the moment. Mason Toye, Samuel Piette, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and Jojea Kwizera are all dealing with injuries and are unavailable for selection. Joel Waterman will also miss the game due to the accumulation of yellow cards.
CF Montreal possible XI: Sirois; Herrera, Camacho, Waterman; Brault-Guillard, Wanyama, Iliadis, Rea; Duke, Ibrahim, Lassiter
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Sirois, Ketterer |
| Defenders | Miller, Camacho, Waterman, Herrera, Campbell, Thorkelsson |
| Midfielders | Wanyama, Hamdi, Lappalainen, Zouhir, Miljevic, Rea, Saliba, Guillard, Iliadis, Daouda |
| Forwards | Quioto, Offor, Sunusi |
Toronto team news
The injury concerns revolve around Cristian Gutierrez, Matt Hedges, Raoul Petretta, Victor Vazquez, Jordan Perruzza, Jonathan Osorio and Michael Bradley could all be unavailable once again because of lower body injuries.
Toronto FC possible XI: Johnson; Laryea, Mabika, Rosted, Franklin; Servania, Coello Camarero, Kaye; Bernardeschi, Sapong, Insigne
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Johnson, Romero |
| Defenders | Laryea, Petretta, Rosted, Hedges, O'Neill, MacNaghton, Franklin, Ellis-Watson |
| Midfielders | Osorio, Bradley, Kaye, Servania, Kerr |
| Forwards | Bernardeschi, Akinola, Antanoglu, Mbongue, Insigne |
Head-to-Head Record
Over the course of the last five Canadian Classique encounters in all competitions, CF Montreal has had a stranglehold on Toronto, having won four times to Toronto's one. However, that solitary win saw Toronto thrash their neighbours 4-0 in the 2022 Canadian Championship semifinal. They also faced off midweek in a clash that saw Montreal take home a 2-1 win.