Nashville SC Progress In Champions Cup As They Rout Atletico Ottawa 5-0 To Reach Inter Miami Tie

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Nashville SC moved into the Champions Cup last 16 after crushing Atletico Ottawa 7-0 on aggregate, setting up a meeting with Inter Miami. The MLS club finished the job at GEODIS Park with a 5-0 second-leg victory. Nashville will now face the reigning MLS Cup holders, who eliminated Nashville in the first round of last season’s MLS playoffs.

Star forward Sam Surridge stayed on the bench for this continental fixture, despite scoring twice when Nashville opened their MLS season by beating the New England Revolution. Even without Surridge on the pitch, Nashville spread the goals across the team and controlled the tie from start to finish against the Canadian visitors.

Alex Muyl struck first to give Nashville the lead, and Jordan Knight added a second before half-time. After the interval, Woobens Pacius extended the advantage, with Jack Maher and Ahmed Qasem also finding the net. That flurry of goals turned a dominant aggregate position into a resounding overall scoreline against Atletico Ottawa.

The performance also delivered a striking visual highlight for home supporters at GEODIS Park. "FIVE STARS pic.twitter.com/44mQpBza08" Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) February 25, 2026. The post underlined how Nashville shared the attacking contributions during one of the club’s most one-sided victories in continental competition.

Data from the match showed how Nashville combined efficiency with control in the final third. The side attempted only 11 shots yet scored five times, supported by an expected goals figure of 3.2. Ottawa struggled to create meaningful danger, producing four shots in total, with their opportunities amounting to just 0.22 expected goals.

The attacking burden was spread across the Nashville squad, supporting the scoreline. Five Nashville players recorded two shots each, showing there was no single shooting focus. Matthew Corcoran and Bryan Acosta also shared creative duties, supplying three key passes each and helping maintain pressure throughout the contest.

Nashville SC Champions Cup context and LAFC update

Attention now shifts to the next Champions Cup phase, where Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami await Nashville. The fixture brings immediate history, as Miami knocked Nashville out of the MLS playoffs last season. That background gives extra narrative to this new continental tie, with both sides already familiar opponents in league competition.

Elsewhere in the Champions Cup, Los Angeles FC advanced comfortably against Real Espana. Nkosi Tafari scored the only goal in a 1-0 second-leg win, capping a 7-1 aggregate success. LAFC now meet LD Alajuelense from Costa Rica in the next round, adding further MLS involvement as the knockout bracket develops.

Nashville’s heavy victory over Atletico Ottawa, coupled with clinical finishing and shared creativity, places the club in a strong competitive rhythm before facing Inter Miami. With LAFC also moving on, MLS teams carry momentum into the Champions Cup knockouts, and Nashville’s balanced display provides a clear reference point for the upcoming challenge.