Match Preview: Atlanta United hosts the Columbus Crew in Saturday night matchup

First Touches

• Atlanta United is wearing the 17s Kit | See the colors and learn the story.
• The 5-Stripes are coming off a 2-2 draw at home against New York City FC on Wednesday.
• Daniel Ríos scored the fastest goal in club history on Wednesday.
• Their next MLS match is not until August 24. They will be taking on D.C. United in the first round of Leagues Cup on Friday, July 26 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
• Who's in and who's out Saturday against Columbus? View the Availability Report presented by Piedmont

Match Details

• Date: July 20, 2024
• Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Check out the Military Appreciation Offer for tickets.

Attending the match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? View our detailed timeline and things to do before kickoff

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

• TV: Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
• Listen: Local radio 92.9 The Game and La Mejor
• Live Stream: Stream on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app or visit https://tv.apple.com/
• Follow Along: Follow the match with real-time stats and live play-by-play on our Match Hub Page.

Recent Form

After several double matchdays on the road, Atlanta United will play at home for the next couple of weeks. Including the match against NYCFC, their next four games will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, two of which are for Leagues Cup. On Wednesday, Atlanta got off to one of the best first half starts, marked by the fastest goal in club history scored by Daniel Ríos. They went up 2-0 in the first half, but NYCFC came back to tie the match. The 5-Stripes are now 6-11-7.

Columbus in 2024 has picked up where they left off last season. The reigning MLS Cup champions are still one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. They are third in the Eastern Conference with 43 points. Next week, the 2024 All Star festivities will be hosted by Columbus.

Last Meeting and Series History

Atlanta United and Columbus Crew have faced each other a total of 20 times prior to Saturday’s meeting. The 5-Stripes hold an all-time record of 6-10-3 against Columbus in MLS regular season and postseason play. The last meeting between these two clubs came back in late February in the first regular season match for both sides. It was a low scoring affair with Columbus walking away with a 1-0 victory. Before that, the two teams faced off in the first round of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. Atlanta’s 2023 season ended at Lower.com Field after Columbus won the Best-of-3 series.

• Tools to the Match: How Atlanta United picks up a victory against tough Columbus Crew team

Players to Watch

Saba Lobjanidze (Atlanta United) – Since returning to the starting lineup after missing most of June at the Euros with his home country of Georgia, Lobjanidze has injected the club with the scoring touch they needed. The winger currently ties Ríos for a club leading six goals on the season so far. Both Lobjanidze and Ríos got on the board during the match against New York City FC.

Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernández (Columbus Crew) – The recent winner of MLS Goal of the Matchday for Matchday 26 has13 goals on the season so far. Since coming to the Crew in 2022, Hernandez has been a strong offensive player in the league. Hernández was also selected to compete in the 2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.