Atlantavs.NY Red Bulls

On matchday two last weekend, the Five Stripes were beaten 2-0 by Charlotte FC, with the reigning Eastern Conference champions winning their first of the campaign, 2-0 over Nashville SC.

Match preview

Early into the new MLS regular season finishing matches strong is plaguing Atlanta United just as it did throughout 2024.

Last year they conceded over 63% of their goals in the final 45 minutes (31 of 49) and all four of their goals allowed in the competition this year have occurred in the second half.

Ronny Deila's defenders have been especially poor at handling long balls early in this campaign, and the absence of some key defenders does not help.

A victory on Saturday would mark the fourth time this side will have won their first two home games of an MLS campaign, earning maximum points in their opening three fixtures at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2024.

The Five Stripes are unbeaten in their last seven regular-season encounters when netting multiple times dating back to the previous campaign, dropping points in only two of those instances.

This weekend, Atlanta can beat the Red Bulls in consecutive regular-season encounters for the first time, having triumphed 2-1 in this exact fixture last year.

After a narrow defeat on matchday one (1-0 versus FC Cincinnati), the bounces fell New York's way last Saturday as they were up by two goals at the half-hour mark.

That victory ended a run of five straight matches without a win for Sandro Schwarz's men at Red Bull Arena in the regular season, with their previous home victory in this competition occurring last July against Cincinnati (3-1).

Away from home, this team have won just one of their previous 10 regular-season encounters, defeating Toronto 1-0 in early October 2024.

The Red Bulls have suffered just one defeat in their last 10 MLS matches played in March dating back to the start of the 2023 campaign.

Going back to 2024 the Red Bulls have won their last five league matches counting the playoffs when scoring first, failing to concede in those previous four victories.

New York have not beaten the Five Stripes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since 2022 (2-1), losing their last two visits to Atlanta by a single goal.

Atlanta United Major League Soccer form:

New York Red Bulls Major League Soccer form:

Team News

Defender Ronald Hernandez has a problem with his quadriceps, while Atlanta full-back Brooks Lennon and Pedro Amador are dealing with a shoulder and hamstring strain respectively, and all three players are doubtful for Saturday.

Two changes were made to their starting 11 from matchday two, as Derrick Williams and Ajani Fortune came into the lineup in place of Hernandez and Mateusz Klich.

A week ago, knee injuries kept Serge Ngoma, Marcelo Morales, Roald Mitchell, and Kyle Duncan out of the Red Bulls lineup, while Adri Mehmeti missed last week with a sore thigh, Ronald Donkor had a shin issue, and Wiktor Bogacz was sidelined with a sore back.

A seventh-minute strike by Mohammed Sofo was all they needed to defeat Nashville, with Emil Forsberg adding some insurance, the first goals of the season for both players.

Atlanta United possible starting lineup:

Guzan; Cobb, Rode Gregersen, Williams, Abram; Slisz, Klich; Almiron, Miranchuk, Lobzhanidze; Latte Lath

New York Red Bulls possible starting lineup:

Coronel; Eile, S. Nealis, Hack; Harper, Stroud, Edelman, Edwards; Forsberg; Sofo, Choupu-Moting

We say: Atlanta United 1-2 New York Red Bulls

Atlanta are struggling to deal with routine balls in the box and against an opportunistic Red Bulls side, and we fear it will prove costly for the home team on Saturday.

Written by

Joel Lefevre

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