Playing in their first match at Citi Field this season, New York City FC will host Atlanta United in MLS action on Saturday.
The Pigeons ended their two-game road trip with a 1-1 draw versus Inter Miami, while the Five Stripes came away with a solid 3-0 victory over the Chicago Fire.
Match preview
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It was not a perfect match, but given how poorly his side have begun the domestic campaign, Nick Cushing would gladly take a single point against the MLS Cup favourites, Miami.
Last week was the first time all season that this team found the back of the net away from home, ending a four-match losing and goalless run as the visitors in this competition.
The most disappointing aspect of their game in 2024 has been their lack of quality in front of goal, with New York City netting the joint-fewest goals in MLS this year (four).
After six regular-season affairs, the Boys in Blue have a mere four points, their worst start to a domestic campaign since the 2020 COVID season (three) as they find themselves second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference.
Nearly half of their domestic triumphs in this competition last season took place at Citi Field (4/9), with the Boys in Blue winning their final two league contests in Queens last year.
NYCFC have an impressive eight-match unbeaten run against the Five Stripes in all competitions, though Saturday will be the first time these two sides meet at Citi Field.
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Atlanta followed up a disappointing defeat versus Toronto (2-0) with a dominating display at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, winning for a third successive time at home this year.
Gonzalo Pineda's men have netted all nine of their goals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season, while they are without a point away from home in 2024.
Dating back to the previous campaign, the Five Stripes are winless in six successive regular-season away fixtures since a 2-0 victory in Seattle against the Sounders last August.
The Five Stripes have not lost three successive away fixtures in MLS play since April 2022 but have only won one regular season contest as the visitors in April since the start of 2020 (1-0 over DC United in 2022).
This team have not won a regular-season affair when conceding the opening goal since September 2023 (5-2 victory over Inter Miami), while they have not lost when netting first since August of last year (2-1 defeat versus FC Cincinnati).
They have never beaten NYCFC in a regular-season away contest, with their only road triumph against them occurring in the opening leg of their MLS Cup playoff tie in 2018 (1-0 at Yankee Stadium).
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Team News
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Against the Herons, NYCFC were still missing Maxi Moralez due to a right knee issue, Talles Magno sat out with a knee problem himself, Birk Risa did not play due to a leg injury and Jovan Mijatovic was unavailable.
After missing their defeat to FC Cincinnati (1-0) through suspension, New York welcomed back Keaton Parks to the fold last Saturday, while Tayvon Gray started for the first time in the 2024 domestic campaign.
Parks set up the only goal for his side the previous time out, as Alonso Martinez scored his first of the domestic campaign, starting in a front three alongside Santiago Rodriguez and Monsef Bakrar.
Daniel Rios, who recently joined Atlanta on loan from Liga MX powerhouse Chivas, was sidelined last week with a calf strain, while Stian Gregersen did not feature due to a knee injury.
Thiago Almada, Caleb Wiley and Bartosz Slisz were all back in the starting lineup for the Five Stripes last weekend, having missed their defeat versus Toronto because of the international break.
Their leading goalscorer, Giorgos Giakoumakis, also returned to the lineup following the international break, becoming the first player in club history since Josef Martinez to score five goals in the first five matches of an MLS season last week, while Jamal Thiare netted twice after replacing the Greek striker in the second half on his 31st birthday.
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Freese; Gray, Martins, Tanasijevic; Ilenic, Parks, Sands, Wolf; Rodriguez, Martinez; Bakrar
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Lennon, Cobb, Williams, Wiley; Slisz, McCarty; Lobzhanidze, Almada, Mosquera; Giakoumakis
We say: New York City FC 1-1 Atlanta United
Three of the last four meetings between these two have ended in a draw, and given Atlanta's attacking woes away from home and the Pigeons' inability to put a match away, we are projecting another one on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
