Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Major League Soccer clash between Atlanta United and DC United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
DC United will travel to Atlanta United this weekend and look to extend their unbeaten run to three games.
Both teams are currently midtable in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference, with three points having the chance to propel either team further up the division.
Match preview
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Atlanta heads into this game sat in 10th, and while they will be hoping to overtake their opponents this weekend, there will also be a desire to push away from those below them.
The club sits just five points above New England Revolution, who are currently propping up the Eastern Conference, and progressing up the division will be the focus because of that.
So far this season, it has been a tale of two halves, with Atlanta performing well at home but failing to secure a single victory on the road.
The Five Stripes responded to losing their latest league game by defeating Charlotte Independence 3-0 in the US Open Cup in midweek, and the team should have taken some confidence from that result.
Atlanta have had no problem finding the back of the net so far this season, with only Inter Miami scoring more goals at home than them in the Eastern Conference, and that is something they will look to exploit this weekend.
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DC United will have to be wary of the attacking threats that their opponents possess, notably since they have failed to win a match on the road this season.
They might currently sit three places above Atlanta, but their form on the road has been concerning to fans after they have drawn four and lost one.
Turning that around is essential if DC United wants to progress further up the division and put some pressure on the top six, and a victory this weekend would do just that.
The Black-and-Red could climb as high as fifth, depending on other results, highlighting how tight things are in the league.
They head into this match after two games without a loss, the most recent being a 2-2 draw against Philadelphia Union. But Troy Lesesne will have been frustrated as he witnessed his team throw away a two-goal lead in that game.
Atlanta United Major League Soccer form:
DC United Major League Soccer form:
Team News
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The hosts are currently missing Derrick Williams and Jamal Thiare due to muscle problems, and this is expected to happen again this weekend.
Xande Silva did get some minutes from the bench in midweek following his spell on the sidelines with a groin issue, which is a favourable situation for the Five Stripes.
As far as the visitors are concerned, Conner Antley is out of action due to a leg injury, and Russell Canouse is also unavailable.
Theodore Ku-DiPietro is expected to return soon following a hip issue, but it remains unclear if that will be this weekend.
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Lennon, Abram, Morales, Wiley; Slisz, Muyumba; Lobzhanidze, Almada, Wolff; Giakoumakis
DC United possible starting lineup:
Bono; Herrera, McVey, Bartlett, Dajome; Peltola, Pirani, Klich; Stroud, Benteke, Murrell
We say: Atlanta United 1-1 DC United
Both teams are quite evenly matched heading into this weekend, and that should lead to a competitive and closely contested match.
With little between them in the league and with their recent form, it would not be a surprise to see them share the points this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.