Los Angeles FC v Portland Timbers: Neville expecting more drama after April thrillerShareThe Portland Timbers and Los Angeles FC shared six goals when they met earlier this season, and they will face off again on Friday.Phil Neville is expecting another exciting encounter between Los Angeles FC and the Portland Timbers on Friday, with the sides having played out several classics in recent years.The Timbers and LAFC drew 3-3 at Providence Park in April's reverse fixture, and their last four head-to-head meetings have contained 16 goals in total.Both sides enter Friday's matchup in the playoff positions, with Portland sixth in the Western Conference after fighting back to secure a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United last time out.LAFC are fifth, four points clear of their opponents and with multiple games in hand over all the teams around them, following their participation at the Club World Cup. "I thought the game at Providence Park was probably one of the best adverts for MLS I've seen for a long time," Timbers coach Neville said."It was a high-level game; it felt like a playoff game. To be fair, I also thought the Minnesota game was like a playoff game between two really good teams."I'll be no different in LA. We've had some really good encounters against them – they've got some incredible talents up front. "We're really pleased with the way that our front players are going, and I always think going to LA is a really good stage for our players. We're really looking forward to Friday night."LAFC drew 3-3 with their cross-city rivals, the LA Galaxy, last Saturday. They led 2-0 and 3-2 but conceded a 97th-minute equaliser to Maya Yoshida, having had Eddie Segura sent off one minute into stoppage time.PLAYERS TO WATCH Los Angeles FC – Denis BouangaBouanga has scored in four straight regular-season MLS matches for the second time in his career, also doing so between April and May 2023. The last LAFC player to score in more than four straight league matches was Cristian Arango (five straight) in August and September 2021.Portland Timbers – Omir FernandezFernandez's first goal for the Timbers was a dramatic one, as they snatched a 1-1 draw against Minnesota in stoppage time last Saturday.He is the second United States international to score for Portland in two weeks, after Ian Smith on July 5. Before that duo, no American had scored a league goal for the Timbers in nearly a year (excluding own goals).MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WINThe Timbers have suffered four straight road losses in all competitions, being outscored 7-1 in those defeats. Portland have not lost more than four in a row away from home since enduring a five-match losing run in March and April 2019, which included a 4-1 defeat at LAFC.LAFC squandered an early 2-0 lead in Saturday's 3-3 draw with the Galaxy. It was the first time LAFC had failed to win a home match in which they led by two goals since October 2018 versus the Vancouver Whitecaps, ending a run of 61 straight wins (including playoffs) when leading by two goals at BMO Stadium.Steve Cherundolo's team will be desperate to atone for that result, and they have won three straight home matches against Portland in all competitions. Prior to this run, LAFC had recorded just three wins in their first eight at home against the Timbers in all competitions.OPTA WIN PROBABILITYLos Angeles FC – 56.5%Portland Timbers – 21%Draw – 22.5%Los Angeles FC v Portland Timbers: Neville expecting more drama after April thrillerThe Portland Timbers and Los Angeles FC shared six goals when they met earlier this season, and they will face off again on Friday.Phil Neville is expecting another exciting encounter between Los Angeles FC and the Portland Timbers on Friday, with the sides having played out several classics in recent years.The Timbers and LAFC drew 3-3 at Providence Park in April's reverse fixture, and their last four head-to-head meetings have contained 16 goals in total.Both sides enter Friday's matchup in the playoff positions, with Portland sixth in the Western Conference after fighting back to secure a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United last time out.LAFC are fifth, four points clear of their opponents and with multiple games in hand over all the teams around them, following their participation at the Club World Cup. "I thought the game at Providence Park was probably one of the best adverts for MLS I've seen for a long time," Timbers coach Neville said."It was a high-level game; it felt like a playoff game. To be fair, I also thought the Minnesota game was like a playoff game between two really good teams."I'll be no different in LA. We've had some really good encounters against them – they've got some incredible talents up front. "We're really pleased with the way that our front players are going, and I always think going to LA is a really good stage for our players. We're really looking forward to Friday night."LAFC drew 3-3 with their cross-city rivals, the LA Galaxy, last Saturday. They led 2-0 and 3-2 but conceded a 97th-minute equaliser to Maya Yoshida, having had Eddie Segura sent off one minute into stoppage time.PLAYERS TO WATCH Los Angeles FC – Denis BouangaBouanga has scored in four straight regular-season MLS matches for the second time in his career, also doing so between April and May 2023. The last LAFC player to score in more than four straight league matches was Cristian Arango (five straight) in August and September 2021.Portland Timbers – Omir FernandezFernandez's first goal for the Timbers was a dramatic one, as they snatched a 1-1 draw against Minnesota in stoppage time last Saturday.He is the second United States international to score for Portland in two weeks, after Ian Smith on July 5. Before that duo, no American had scored a league goal for the Timbers in nearly a year (excluding own goals).MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WINThe Timbers have suffered four straight road losses in all competitions, being outscored 7-1 in those defeats. Portland have not lost more than four in a row away from home since enduring a five-match losing run in March and April 2019, which included a 4-1 defeat at LAFC.LAFC squandered an early 2-0 lead in Saturday's 3-3 draw with the Galaxy. It was the first time LAFC had failed to win a home match in which they led by two goals since October 2018 versus the Vancouver Whitecaps, ending a run of 61 straight wins (including playoffs) when leading by two goals at BMO Stadium.Steve Cherundolo's team will be desperate to atone for that result, and they have won three straight home matches against Portland in all competitions. Prior to this run, LAFC had recorded just three wins in their first eight at home against the Timbers in all competitions.OPTA WIN PROBABILITYLos Angeles FC – 56.5%Portland Timbers – 21%Draw – 22.5%