Two sides that are separated by a single point in the MLS Eastern Conference will do battle this weekend when Atlanta United play host to Orlando City at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.
Both sides come into this match following away defeats in midweek, with the hosts losing 2-1 to New England while the visitors suffered a 4-0 drubbing on their visit to America First Field against Real Salt Lake.
Match preview
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In a compact MLS Eastern Conference, Atlanta were denied the opportunity of moving as high as third in the league standings when they were beaten by New England last week, and instead, they come into this match in sixth place with 35 points after 23 matches.
Against the Revolution, Gonzalo Pineda's men started the match in the worst way possible by conceding inside the first five minutes and then found their deficit doubled before the 10-minute mark.
A late goal by Machop Chol gave Atlanta a brief glimmer of hope, but it turned out to be nothing more than a consolation as they were handed their fifth away loss of the season in 12 matches.
At home, though, their record is much better, currently on seven wins, three draws and just one loss in 11 games, while they also hold the second-highest goal tally of 26, which is only bettered by Columbus Crew with 30.
In addition, Atlanta United are unbeaten in their last five matches at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (W3 D2 L0), and they have scored an impressive 14 goals in that time while only letting in six.
The hosts have got the better of this opponent in recent times, unbeaten in their last four meetings with two wins and two draws, and with a solid home record behind them this season, Pineda will be confident about his chances of picking up another three points from this one which could propel his side into the top four provided a couple of other results go his way too.
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Orlando City also missed their chance to move up the table in the last match as they were beaten comprehensively by Western Conference outfit Real Salt Lake, which brought an end to their four-match unbeaten streak.
As a result, they found themselves slipping to seventh in the standings, but unlike most other teams, Oscar Pareja and his side have had over a week off, which would have given them enough time to figure out where they went wrong in that match.
Across the season to date, the visitors have recorded nine wins, seven draws, and six losses and are on track to beat their tally of 48 points last season, provided they can bounce back from their recent loss fairly quickly.
While that 4-0 scoreline was the biggest margin of defeat that Orlando suffered all season so far, they still hold one of the best away records in the league with 15 points in 10 matches, and they have also let in the fewest goals (15) in the Eastern Conference.
With a four-point advantage over Wayne Rooney's DC United in eighth place, Orlando will not drop out of the automatic playoff qualification places if they lose this match, but Pareja will know the importance of a good performance here as it will help to build some momentum heading into the first round of the Leagues Cup next weekend.
Team News
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Pineda will be without the services of forwards Georgios Giakoumakis (hamstring) and Erik Lopez (ankle), which should mean that Miguel Berry will continue up front for the hosts.
Miles Robinson should return in time from international duty and could be in line for selection, while Chol will be hoping to hear his number called after he scored the solitary goal last time out.
Meanwhile, Pareja has two new injuries to contend with as Michael Halliday (thigh) and Adam Grinwis (concussion) are set for a spell out and will join longer-term absentee Abdi Salim on the sideline.
Martin Ojeda leads the Lions with eight assists, and he will almost certainly start in a five-man midfield behind Duncan McGuire, who will spearhead the attack.
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Abram, Purata, Hernandez; Wiley, Sejdic, Sosa, Lennon, Wolff, Almada; Berry
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Smith, Carlos, Jansson, Santos; Araujo, Cartagena, Angulo, Pereyra, Torres; McGuire
We say: Atlanta United 2-1 Orlando City
While there is little to choose between these sides based on their league position this season, Atlanta's home form of late cannot be overlooked. They are unbeaten in their last five, while Orlando have failed to win any of their last three matches on the road and have failed to score in their last two. We do not expect a clean sheet from the hosts, but we do fancy that they will get the win.
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Top tip
Devesh Jaganath
