LAFC vs. LA Galaxy – MLS, October 25, 2020

El Trafico takes center stage in MLS this weekend as LAFC and LA Galaxy meet for the fourth Los Angeles derby of the season. The rivals clash at Banc of California Stadium for the league’s sole game on Sunday, October 25.

LAFC crushed the Galaxy 6-2 in their first meeting of their year, but Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s side has since won the last two encounters.

The Black & Gold is fourth in the Western Conference, while the Galaxy is rock bottom. But due to the congested nature of the division, there are only seven points between the two teams.

Keep reading to see my LAFC vs. LA Galaxy prediction and betting pick.

The Galaxy may have a 2-1 lead in this fixture this season, but the top betting sites seem to think that LAFC has the upper hand this time around. The Carson club has won just one of their last eight outings, so it’s difficult to argue with the bookies’ odds for this game.

Having said that, Bob Bradley’s side has been wildly inconsistent this term and comes into this clash on a two-game winless run.

It’s fair to say that LAFC is extremely fortunate to be heading into Sunday’s derby on the back of a draw. Bradley’s men were dominated by Portland Timbers last weekend, but a stoppage-time strike from 16-year-old Christian Torres earned the Black & Gold an unlikely point.

The defending Supporters’ Shield champions beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 at the beginning of October before seeing off Seattle Sounders by the same scoreline. But having beaten the conference leaders, LAFC suffered a hugely disappointing defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps last week.

LAFC’s recent batch of results sums up their season perfectly. Bradley’s men have often beaten the top teams in the division, but when it comes to facing the lesser sides, they have struggled to get the job done.

Despite enduring an inconsistent campaign, the Black & Gold should qualify for the play-offs. But I can’t see the team challenging for the MLS Cup.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy finally ended a woeful six game losing streak by edging the Caps last weekend. It looked as though Barros Schelotto’s was going to extend their winless run to eight games, but Kai Koreniuk popped up with a goal on 90 minutes to stop the rot.

With five regular-season games left to save their campaign, the Galaxy will be hoping that Sunday’s victory can kick start a resurgence. The Carson club is only three points shy of the play-off places and has two games in hand over eight-place Vancouver.

Barros Schelotto’s men can take confidence from the fact they have already beaten LAFC twice this year. The Galaxy clinched a 2-0 win over their rivals at the end of August before securing a 3-0 victory in early September. But it is important to remember that a lot has changed his since.

When the Galaxy last beat LAFC, Barros Schelotto’s side was enjoying a four-game winning streak. But since then, the team has only managed to seal one victory in eight outings.

On the flip side, the Black & Gold is in a far better place. LAFC has clinched four wins since the last El Trafico, so I’m backing Bradley’s men to carry their momentum into Sunday’s derby and claim all three points.