FC Cincinnati go in search of back-to-back wins either side of the international break when they play host to Atlanta United on Saturday evening.
On the other hand, the away side make the journey to the TQL Stadium aiming to pick up a first victory in three Major League Soccer matches.
Match preview
© Reuters
FC Cincinnati saw off the threat of Inter Miami in a hard-fought 1-0 triumph when the teams faced off at DRV PNK Stadium on October 8.
Despite seeing little of the ball, Pat Noonan's men fashioned more clear-cut opportunities on the day and got the all-important winner through Alvaro Barreal.
As a result, the Garys have restored their eight-point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference of the MLS table heading into the final week of the regular season.
Coming up next is the challenge of an opposing outfit who have only lost one of the last seven editions of this fixture across all competitions.
However, that solitary defeat did come in the most recent encounter back in August, when Saturday's hosts claimed a 2-1 win in this season's earlier meeting.
© Reuters
Atlanta United had to settle for a share of the spoils in their clash against Columbus Crew, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 8.
Gonzalo Pineda's fell behind to Cucho's opener 20 minutes into the second half but managed to restore parity in second-half stoppage time through Miles Robinson.
With 50 points picked up from 33 matches so far, the Five Stripes sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and have already secured an automatic spot in the playoffs.
Having won just one of their last seven matches on the road, Saturday's visitors will need to get going on the road if they are to enjoy a deep run into the postseason.
Team News
© Reuters
Sixteen-year-old Steven Jimenez is unavailable for selection for FC Cincinnati due to a knee problem which he sustained in the third week of July.
Alvas Powell is now eligible to feature for the home side once again having missed the win over Inter Miami through a one-game suspension.
South Sudan international Machop Chol is set to miss a fifth game on the bounce, although he is not far off a return to action at this stage.
With an impressive 27 direct goal contributions to his name this term, midfielder Thiago Almada is definitely one to keep an eye on this weekend.
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Murphy, Miazga, Hagglund; Arias, Nwobodo, Moreno, Barreal; Acosta, Santos, Vazquez
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Lennon, Robinson, Abram, Wiley; Muyumba, Rossetto; Silva, Almada, Lobjanidze; Giakoumakis
We say: FC Cincinnati 3-1 Atlanta United
FC Cincinnati have established themselves as the best team of the regular season but will still be looking to lay down a marker ahead of the playoffs. We can see them coming up on top in what should be a fairly one-sided affair.
How to watch
You can watch FC Cincinnati vs. Atlanta United and every MLS match this season live on Apple TV. Click here for more details on how to subscribe.For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
