Austin FC head coach Nico Estevez wants his players to find their belief in attacking situations once more ahead of their trip to Minnesota United in MLS.

After a strong start to the season, Austin are now winless in their last six matches (D2 L4), a run which includes a 3-0 defeat to Minnesota in the reverse fixture.

They sit ninth in the Western Conference on 18 points, having failed to score more than once in all but one of their matches this season.

But after beating the Houston Dynamo 3-1 in the U.S. Open Cup to reach the quarterfinal in midweek, Estevez hopes their confidence will continue to grow.

"As a coach, I cannot be that stressed on the sideline because I think we create really good chances, to be honest," Estevez said.

"It's about having belief and giving confidence to the players that this is going to come, because they work really hard, they have the quality, and sometimes there are phases where the ball doesn't want to go into the net."

Minnesota, meanwhile, are second in the West, just three points behind leaders Vancouver Whitecaps.

They have lost just one of their last four in MLS (W3), bouncing back to beat St. Louis City SC, whom they also beat in midweek to progress to the last eight of the U.S. Open Cup.

And head coach Eric Ramsay wants Minnesota to maintain their competitive energy ahead of a tough period.

"We've got to keep what is our biggest focus in mind," he said.

"We've got to be competitive in our pursuit of the playoff positions, and we want to make sure we meet that objective.

"The approach has and will pay off in weeks to come if we rotate now ahead of June, when we'll have players leaving. We need to make sure we're not accumulating a load that's going to lead to injuries in unnecessary ways."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Minnesota United – Tani Oluwaseyi

Tani Oluwaseyi has recorded an assist in three consecutive regular-season home matches.

There have been only three longer streaks in Minnesota United's MLS history, most recently a club-record five straight home games with an assist by Robin Lod in April-May 2024.

Austin FC – Brandon Vazquez

Austin failed to score against the Vancouver Whitecaps last time out, but Brandon Vazquez led the team, having three shots worth 0.7 expected goals (xG).

He worked hard, winning nine of the 15 duels he contested and three of the six aerial challenges. He also won possession three times, with only Owen Wolff (five) and Osman Bukari (six) doing so more.

MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN

There has never been a draw between Minnesota and Austin, with each side winning five times. The Loons hold a one-goal advantage over the 10 meetings, outscoring Austin 12-11.

Minnesota have equaled their best 14-match start with 25 points, matching their total from last season. The Loons have scored at least three goals in three of their last four regular-season matches.

Meanwhile, Austin have won only one of their last eight regular-season matches (D3 L4), including going winless in five straight (D2 L3).

Over this eight-match span, Austin have totaled just four goals.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Minnesota United – 55.1%

Draw – 23.1%

Austin FC – 21.8%