Preview: Atlanta United vs. Colorado Rapids - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 at home by Philadelphia Union in a fiery encounter at the weekend.

Match preview

After collecting a highly respectable tally of 18 points from their opening nine league games of the current campaign - losing only one match during that period - Atlanta have since been defeated in three consecutive MLS games.

Nashville SC, Inter Miami and Charlotte FC have all got the better of Gonzalo Pineda's side, with Memphis 901 FC also stunning them in extra-time of their US Open Cup fixture towards the end of April.

Trailing 1-0 at home to Charlotte at half-time over the weekend, Andrew Gutman's 51st-minute dismissal gave the hosts little chance of mounting a comeback, with goals from Karol Swiderski and Justin Meram taking the game away from them before the hour mark.

Having missed out on the play-offs in his first season in charge last time out, Pineda will be desperate to bounce back and reach the business end of the MLS season this time around, with his players needing to return to winning ways sooner rather than later to avoid a losing rot setting in at the club.

Colorado, meanwhile, head into their clash against Atlanta sitting just outside the play-off positions in the Western Conference table, having missed out on the chance to move back inside them by losing at home to Philadelphia last time out.

Goals from Kai Wagner and Julian Carranza either side of half-time turned the match on its head after Connor Ronan had dispatched a penalty in the 38th minute, before Braian Galvan and Jesus Bueno were both sent off during second half injury-time in a match which featured 11 cards in total.

The defeat brought an end to Colorado's impressive nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions, although five of their seven league games during that run had ended in draws, minimising Robin Fraser's side's upwards movement in the table.

However, they will sense an excellent opportunity to inflict more misery on their forthcoming opponents on Wednesday, and claim the positive result that could bring them back into the top seven.

Atlanta United Major League Soccer form:

D

D

W

L

L

L

Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer form:

W

D

D

D

W

L

Team News

Atlanta will be without Gutman due to suspension after his dismissal against Charlotte, with Caleb Wiley likely to drop into a deeper position at left-back.

Erik Lopez, Brad Guzan and Osvaldo Alonso are all expected to remain sidelined through serious injuries, but Georgios Giakoumakis could be set for a start after only being deployed from the bench at the weekend.

Colorado, meanwhile, will travel without the banned Galvan, who was sent off despite only appearing as a second half substitute during his side's loss to Philadelphia.

Abraham Rodriguez, Jack Price, Jackson Travis and Aboubacar Keita all remain sidelined through injury, so Fraser may be tempted to opt with the same starting XI despite seeing his side's nine-match unbeaten run come to an end.

Atlanta United possible starting lineup:

Westberg; Lennon, Robinson, Sanchez, Wiley; Sejdic, Ibarra; Araujo, Almada, Giakoumakis; Berry

Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:

Yarbrough; Abubakar, Maxso, Wilson; Nicholson, Ronan, Leyva, Markanich; Rubio; Cabral, Lewis

We say: Atlanta United 2-2 Colorado Rapids

Both teams will be desperate to bounce back after suffering defeat at the weekend, and we can envisage a hard-fought, entertaining affair as a result.

In truth, there is little to split these sides based on individual quality, with the visitors' superior form likely to help towards a decent point on the road.

How to watch

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