Match Preview: Atlanta United hosts Supporters' Shield leader FC Cincinnati

First Touches

• Atlanta United will wear the new 404 Kit launched on August 22 | Learn the story of the kit
• Thiago Almada is the reigning MLS Player of the Matchday after contributing to three goals in Atlanta United's 4-0 win over Nashville SC on Saturday. It's the second straight week that a player from Atlanta United was received the award. Giorgos Giakoumakis was voted the MLS Player of the Matchday the week prior for his brace in the 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders.
• Head coach Gonzalo Pineda will miss this match due to yellow card accumulation after picking up his third yellow card of the season against Nashville SC. View the Availability Report presented by Piedmont
• FC Cincinnati enters the midweek match leading the Supporters' Shield race with 54 points in the table. Atlanta United sits in sixth place in the conference with 41 points, two points out of second place. View the MLS Eastern Conference standings
• The 5-Stripes are coming off back-to-back shutout wins in MLS play.

Match Details

• Date: Wednesday, August 30
• Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Tickets: View tickets
• Celebrating: HBCU Night

Going to the match? Check out our detailed timeline and things to do before kickoff.

How to watch, listen and live stream Atlanta United vs. FC Cincinnati

• TV: Watch for FREE on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
• Listen: Local radio 92.9 The Game, La Mejor
• Live stream: Watch on your phone or device by subscribing to 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

The first meeting between the two Eastern Conference clubs arrives with both teams in good form. Atlanta United has strung together back-to-back shutout victories over Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC. The attack has looked fast and explosive with additions Tristan Muyumba, Xande Silva and Saba Lobjanidze integrated to the team; the 5-Stripes have scored a total of six goals in two matches. On the other side, the Orange and Blue are leading the race for the Supporters’ Shield. FC Cincinnati fell to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup competition last week but didn't look fazed when they responded with a 3-0 victory over New York City FC in MLS play.

Series History and Last Meeting

This is the first of two meetings remaining between Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati this season (the second will be on Decision Day on October 21). Atlanta United owns the all-time series with a 5-1-4 record. The previous matchups between the two have resulted in draws, including a 2-2 tie last August.

Players To Watch

Xande Silva (Atlanta United) – The new addition to the 5-Stripes endeared himself to the 17s in an exciting way last weekend. Silva started his second straight MLS match and made his first appearance in front of home supporters Saturday. And the Portugese winger put on quite a show, scoring his first goal for the club on a skillful volley and adding an assist on Almada's goal. To make it even better, Silva celebrated his goal with a cartwheel and backflip that matched the energy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

• Get to know Xande Silva with our 17 Questions.

Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati) – The attacking midfielder from Argentina is the one to keep an eye on if you're Atlanta United. Acosta leads the Orange and Blue with 12 goals on the season, which puts him even with Giorgos Giakoumakis and one behind Hany Mukhtar in the race for the Golden Boot. Acosta can also create for his teammates and leads FC Cincinnati with 10 assists. He's only one of two players in MLS at this point to reach double digits in both goals and assists, along with Philadelphia Union's Dániel Gazdag.