

Overview: Atlanta United comes into this match in poor form, with only one win in their last five games (DWLLL). [6, 16] They currently sit in the lower half of the Eastern Conference standings. [4, 33] Historically, they have struggled against the Columbus Crew, winning only 8 of their 22 encounters. [2] Despite their recent struggles, they did manage a 3-1 victory at home against Philadelphia, showing they can be dangerous at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Tactical Notes: Atlanta is expected to leverage its home-field advantage and play an attacking style. However, their defense has been a concern, conceding goals in three of their last five matches. The high frequency of goals in past meetings with Columbus suggests they are often drawn into open, high-scoring affairs. Their success will likely depend on their ability to control the midfield and tighten up their backline against a potent, albeit struggling, Columbus attack.
Key Players: Miguel Almirón, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Aleksey Miranchuk
Overview: Columbus Crew is in a significant slump, having failed to win any of their last five matches (LLDDL). [6, 14, 17] This poor run has them positioned near the bottom of the MLS standings. [4, 21] However, they boast a strong historical record against Atlanta, winning 12 of the 22 all-time meetings and 4 of the last 6. [2] Their last encounter was a thrilling 5-4 victory away at Atlanta, highlighting their ability to score goals in this fixture. [1, 2]
Tactical Notes: The Crew's main challenge is translating their historical dominance over Atlanta into a result, given their dreadful current form. They have struggled defensively, conceding in four of their last five games. Offensively, they possess the quality to trouble any defense, as evidenced by the nine-goal thriller in their last meeting. They will likely look to exploit Atlanta's defensive vulnerabilities on the counter-attack, but their own leaky defense makes a clean sheet unlikely.
Key Players: Diego Rossi, Wessam Abou Ali, Daniel Gazdag