Match Preview: Atlanta United hosts Columbus Crew for last regular season home match

First Touches

• Atlanta United will wear the 17s' kit.
• Saturday's match will be Atlanta's final home match of the regular season. The 5-Stripes will host at least one playoff-match in the Best-of-3 Round One format. Learn more about the new playoff format.
• Atlanta United received 12 nominations for the MLS End-of-Year Awards. See which players were nominated.
• Who's in and who's out against Columbus? View the Availability Report presented by Piedmont.
• Tools to the Match: How Atlanta returns to win column in crucial match against Columbus

Match Details

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 7
• Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Tickets: View tickets
• Celebrating: Military Appreciation

Going to the match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? Check out our detailed timeline and things to do before kickoff.

How to watch, listen and live stream Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew

• TV: Watch on for FREE on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
• Listen: Local radio 92.9 The Game and La Mejor
• Live stream: Watch on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app or visit https://tv.apple.com/.
• Follow along: Follow the match with realtime stats and live play-by-play on our Matchday Hub page.

Click here to watch the video to learn how to sign up for MLS Season Pass

Recent Form

Atlanta suffered its first loss in over a month earlier this week on the road against Philadelphia Union. The 5-Stripes fell into a three-goal deficit by halftime, then looked like they might make the comeback after two second-half goals got them back into the match. However, it ultimately wasn't enough, and the Union won 3-2. On the other side, Columbus Crew did earn three points on the road in its midweek match against New England. An 86th minute goal from Malte Amundsen secured a 2-1 win for the visitors.

Series History and Last Meeting

A win for Atlanta on Saturday could tie up the series record, as Atlanta has six wins to Columbus' seven. Columbus is undefeated in its last three matches against Atlanta with the most recent win coming earlier this season in March. With many players out for international duty, a shorthanded Atlanta side fell 6-1 at Lower.com Field.

Players To Watch

Edwin Mosquera (Atlanta United) – The 22-year-old winger has become a spark for Atlanta since he returned from loan at Defensa y Justicia in July. He has scored in back-to-back matches after entering both as second-half substitutes, and he has recorded three goals and an assist in his last six matches in just 210 minutes played. Whether he is in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, he has proven to be an asset in Atlanta's attack the past few months.

Cucho Hernández (Columbus Crew) – The Colombian striker has been on fire lately, and was just voted MLS Player of the Month for September. Hernández recorded two hat tricks last month along with two other goals and an assist, contributing to nine of the club's 12 goal over that span. His 25 goal contributions are tied for third-most in the league, making him one of the biggest threats for Atlanta's defense to watch for on Saturday.

Defender Miles Robinson on Saturday's match:

"It's great that we play at home. Obviously, when we play at home, we're a different team almost. We're so lively. We're so aggressive. We're so up for the game and the battle, and it's going to be a battle, tactically. They're good with their movements. Columbus is a team that likes the ball, so if we have the ball, we're going to limit their chances. As long as we stay focused and in tune with all their small movements and runs behind the backline in the final third, we should be good."