Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni says his team are aiming to be champions and are looking to continue their impressive form against LA Galaxy on Saturday.

RSL sit top of the Western Conference on 37 points, having lost just two matches so far this season while putting together an astounding 15-game unbeaten run in the league.

Mastroeni knows exactly where his side are in the table, and he has embraced the challenge that comes with being the leader.

"It's about connecting to the big picture - we want to be champs," said Mastroeni. "There's all these sayings in sport for a reason, the one I go by is offence will win you games, but defence will win you championships.

"It always goes back to what we want to achieve as a team. It's about fine-tuning some things and having a real understanding that we're now the hunted and need to get everyone's best game."

The Galaxy are one of those chasing Salt Lake down, sitting just three points below them in third, having lost just one of their last nine matches.

Having won their last two games, head coach Greg Vanney was particularly pleased with how his side defended in those two victories.

"When we're following through on our responsibilities and making the games as predictable as we possibly can, then it helps the group to deal with situations a lot easier and cleaner," Vanney said.

"We've done a nice job of that in the last two games, and it helps us to defend better. It gives the group a lot of confidence in understanding that if we stick to what we want to do, we can be a lot more efficient, especially in defence."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango

Arango has scored six goals in six career MLS matches against the Galaxy (incl. playoffs), tied for his most against any opponent in MLS play (Austin, Dallas).

No player has scored more goals against the Galaxy since Arango joined MLS in August 2021.

LA Galaxy – Dejan Joveljic

Joveljic had both a goal and an assist in the Galaxy's win over New York City FC on Wednesday, his second straight game with one of each.

The only other Galaxy player to have three straight regular-season games with both a goal and an assist is Zlatan Ibrahimovic (September 2019).

MATCH PREDICTION: REAL SALT LAKE WIN

Salt Lake have lost only one of their last six regular-season matches against the Galaxy (W2 D3), though that defeat came in their last home league match against them in May 2023.

The Galaxy have won consecutive regular-season road games against RSL just once, doing so in 2012-13.

RSL are unbeaten in 15 straight regular-season matches (W9 D6), equaling the longest single-season streak since the Portland Timbers went 15 straight without defeat in 2018. There have only been three longer single-season streaks in MLS history, most recently a 16-match run by New York Red Bulls in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy have won four of their last five games (L1) with the last three of those wins coming by at least two goals. It is the first time the team have had three victories by multiple goals in a four-game span since doing so in September-October 2018.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Real Salt Lake – 53.7%

Draw – 23.8%

LA Galaxy – 22.6%

Dejan Joveljic has his eyes on the Western Conference summit as LA Galaxy bid to make it a nine-point week on Saturday, when they face the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field.

The Galaxy have won back-to-back games against Houston Dynamo (2-1) and FC Dallas (3-1) and sit second in the West, just two points behind Real Salt Lake.

Greg Vanney's team have now lost just one of their last nine matches (four wins, four draws), but Joveljic wants even more, starting in Chicago. 

"We would like to win four or five games in a row," the forward said. "But first, we have to win three and then we will see. We are in second place, so it's good, but it could be better. 

"In the playoffs, I would like to start with the first game at home. So, that means we have to be in the top four teams but, of course, our top goal is to be first."

Chicago, meanwhile, are winless in nine MLS matches (four draws, five defeats) following their 1-1 draw with Orlando City on Wednesday. 

Only the New England Revolution, with seven points, sit below them in the Eastern Conference standings. However, boss Frank Klopas has seen signs of improvement.

"I think in these last two games, we've changed how we wanted to play. We haven't got the wins, but I feel we're improving as a team," he said.

"There's a big belief in the group, but there's also frustration, for sure. There are a lot of emotions because of where we are.

"We have to keep going. It's great that we're playing on Saturday again, it's going to be a great crowd, and we have to come out with the same attitude against Galaxy."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers 

Cuypers scored the Fire's goal in their draw with Orlando on Wednesday.

The Belgian forward has now either scored (four) or assisted (one) five of Chicago's last nine MLS goals.

LA Galaxy – Riqui Puig

While Gabriel Pec assisted Joveljic for Galaxy's first goal on Wednesday, Puig scored the third (Joveljic netted the second from the penalty spot). 

At least one of Pec or Puig have been involved in 12 of the Galaxy's last 13 non-penalty goals in MLS, including the last nine in a row.

MATCH PREDICTION – LA GALAXY

Galaxy are unbeaten in six straight MLS matches (two wins, four draws), including winning their last two in a row. 

This is LA's 18th two-match winning streak since the start of the 2021 season, but Galaxy have not won three straight matches in all competitions since a four-match streak between August and September 2020.

Galaxy have a great chance to achieve that feat this week, though, with Chicago winless in nine league games. They have gone 10 or more consecutive matches without a victory in a single regular season three times before, most recently between April and May 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chicago Fire – 32.9%

LA Galaxy – 41.5%

Draw – 25.6%