We've got another afternoon kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in store, and this time, Atlanta United stands opposite of their southern rivals Nashville SC. The Southern Standoff will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be an opportunity for head coach Ronny Deila and his side to reverse their fortunes after a slow start to the season. Fans in attendance are encouraged to stay after the conclusion of the match for Atlanta United's first Unified team match of the season!
One thing is for certain about Deila: he's not afraid to try something new. Saturday's starting lineup, which features Alexey Miranchuk further back in a No. 8 role and Miguel Almirón at the No. 10, is a setup the 5-Stripes have yet to start a game with this season. Deila has configured his squad this way just two other times this season, in the second half of the FC Cincinnati and New York City FC matches.
"I think that we have had these issues with with Alexey and Miggy," Deila said after training Friday. "They're going a lot in the same spaces. That's what we talked about. That is something we work on a lot to get right, because we need to have them at their best."
Miranchuk at the 8 and Miggy at the 10 was the recipe for success in the 5-Stripes' incredible 4-3 comeback win against NYC. The move allowed buildup to flow through a deeper-lying Miranchuk and gave Almirón more space to operate in the Atlanta United attack. Deila will hope for a repeat of that second-half performance for the entirety of the 90 minutes Saturday.
Jay Fortune makes his second start of the season on the left side of Atlanta United's attack. Usually a defensive midfielder, Deila has called on Fortune's skills on the ball to be a threat taking players on in outside spaces. The Homegrown has been a bright spot for the 5-Stripes in
Derrick Williams makes his awaited return to the starting XI for Atlanta United. He injured his hamstring after the New York City match and has missed over a month. He's back in the center back pairing with Luis Abram, as Stian Gregersen was still listed as inactive on the club's availability report Friday.
Here's the full starting XI for Atlanta United against Nashville SC:
Brad Guzan (C), Brooks Lennon, Luis Abram, Derrick Williams, Pedro Amador, Mateusz Klich, Alexey Miranchuk, Jay Fortune, Miguel Almirón, Saba Lobjanidze, Emmanuel Latte Lath
Reserves: Josh Cohen, Ronald Hernández, Noah Cobb, Matt Edwards, Luke Brennan, Edwin Mosquera, Will Reilly, Bartosz Slisz, Jamal Thiaré
Match Notes:
-- Brooks Lennon sits on 39 career assists and needs one to break the record for most in Atlanta United history. He is currently tied for first with Julian Gressel.
-- Miguel Almirón is tied with Thiago Almada for second-most MLS regular season goals for Atlanta United. The two club legends are both on 23 in that category, and a goal would put Almirón in sole possession of second place.
-- Emmanuel Latte Lath returns to the starting lineup after serving his yellow card accumulation suspension against Orlando City April 26. Latte Lath is the club's leading scorer this season with five goals.
-- This will be Jay Fortune's 62nd appearance for Atlanta United, making him the second-most capped Homegrown player in club history. Only Caleb Wiley has more at 85.
-- Miguel Almirón and Saba Lobjanidze are both on 349 club appearances in their careers, and their starts Saturday will be their 350th. Saba is also in line to make his 50th career appearance for Atlanta United in the regular season, making him the 30th player in club history to hit that mark.
-- The 5-Stripes are 2-2-1 (W-L-D) in their history against Nashville at home, having outscored the Boys in Gold 8-6 in those matches. Atlanta United's most recent win against their southern rivals was Aug. 26, 2023, a dominant 4-0 display.
-- According to FBref.com, Atlanta United is second in MLS in dribble success rate, at 51.9 percent on the season. The only club that ranks higher this season is Houston Dynamo.
