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The battle for the play-off spots in the MLS Eastern Conference continues as Atlanta United welcome Orlando City to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday evening. The match gets underway at 12:30am UK Time.
Atlanta United
Atlanta United’s two-match unbeaten run came to a crashing halt on Wednesday as they conceded two early goals to New England Revolution. Despite rallying and outshooting their opponents, the Five Stripes could only find the net once and were unable to snatch a point despite creating multiple opportunities.
Match has ended
There was plenty of encouragement in this performance and Thiago Almada arguably produced his best performance yet in an Atlanta shirt. Fans will be feeling confident ahead of this tie with the Five Stripes’ boasting a superb home record. They’ve lost just once here (vs Charlotte) and have been victorious in six of their last nine at this venue. They’ve scored 2+ goals in six of their last seven matches and are always likely to create chances.
Atlanta’s roster is undergoing some summer renovations with Andrew Gutman and Franco Ibarra amongst the recent departures. They’ve also reportedly made a bid for Hatayspor winger Saba Lobzhanidze and will be looking to make at least one addition before the window closes.
Atlanta are on the fringes of the play-off positions and unless there is a significant drop off in performances, they are unlikely to miss out on the end-of-season showdown. They need to improve their away displays, however, they are a fairly reliable prospect on their own patch.
Orlando City
Unlike their opponents, Orlando City have had the opportunity to rest, recuperate and prepare for this weekend fixture. The Floridian outfit are just above Atlanta in the table and have enjoyed a positive season so far.
They’ve suffered just two defeats since the beginning of May, although they do come off the back of a 4-0 hammering at the hands of in-form Real Salt Lake last time out. They’ve been excellent away from home this campaign, however, they’ve subsequently failed to win any of their last three games on the road and have conceded seven times during that sequence.
Duncan McGuire has enjoyed a breakout spell in recent weeks with the No.6 Overall Pick at the 2023 MLS SuperDraft having already found the net on seven occasions. He has been ably assisted by Martin Ojeda, who has clocked up eight assists so far.
Orlando have also been busy in the transfer market, tying down home-grown goalkeeper Javier Otero to a two-year deal. He is yet to make his MLS debut and is unlikely to be thrown in here.
Head to Head
These two sides have already faced one another this season with their previous meeting ending 1-1 at the Exploria Stadium. Two of the last three meetings between the sides have ended all-square. Orlando have failed to beat this opponent in any of their last four meetings, however, they’ve suffered just a single defeat in their four visits to this venue.
Key Betting Stats
- Defender Kyle Smith scored against Atlanta in the previous meeting between these two sides. 50% of his career goals (2 of 4) have now come against the Five Stripes.
- Atlanta games have averaged just 0.57 first half goals. This has increased to 1.22 goals in the second half of matches.
- Atlanta games have averaged 3.39 goals per game. This is the highest in Major League Soccer.
- The hosts have won 64% of their matches at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- 49% of Atlanta’s goals have been scored in the final 20 minutes of matches.
- There have been exactly four goals in five of Orlando’s last six matches
- 68% of the goals that Orlando have conceded have come in the final 40 minutes of games
Match Prediction
Atlanta played well in midweek despite suffering a 2-1 reverse and it’s always tough to come off the back of a bruising midweek away encounter. Nevertheless, they are fairly formidable at home and they always come on strong in the second half. Orlando’s away form has dropped off, however, they are always a threat going forward and should give a good account of themselves.
Winning Combo
Over 3 Goals, BTTS and Highest Scoring Half – Second Half
Odds – 4/1 with Bet365 Bet Builder
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