COLUMBUS, Ohio — FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew will face off this Saturday at Lower.com for the Hell is Real derby. 

The two clubs are once again the two premier teams in the league this year. The Columbus Crew are fifth in the Eastern Conference with 15 points from 10 games, and FC Cincinnati is second in the Eastern Conference with 21 points from 11 games.  

Some may wonder where the name "Hell is Real" derby comes from — it started by mouth and eventually caught on to become the nickname of the Ohio Derby. The saying is also on a billboard on I-71 that's in between the two cities.

Kick off is set for 7:45 p.m. For the FC Cincinnati fans who can't make it to Columbus, there will be a watch party present by Heineken at The Pitch Cincy across from TQL Stadium. 

FC Cincinnati is coming to the capital city with three consecutive wins under its belt, while the Crew is coming off of a win in the Cocacaf Champions Cup Semifinals at Monterrey last Wednesday. They will advance to the Champions Cup Final next month against Pachua. 

The two clubs last met in the 2023 MLS Eastern Conference Final on Dec. 2, 2023 at TQL Stadium, where the Crew won 3-2.