Preview: Charlotte FC vs. Atlanta United – prediction, team news, lineups

Charlotte FC host fellow southerners Atlanta United in MLS on Saturday for the third edition of an emerging rivalry.

Charlotte are one of two Eastern Conference clubs to have lost both of their opening games of the season while Atlanta have taken four points at this embryonic stage of the campaign.

Match preview

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Only Columbus Crew spent more on transfers in the Eastern Conference than Charlotte during the off-season, with most of the budget splurged on the $6m Argentine striker Enzo Copetti.

The 27-year-old former Racing Club forward is responsible for Charlotte’s only goal of the season thus far, guiding a header into the corner to open the scoring against St Louis City last weekend.

However, Charlotte conspired to give up their advantage before half time, shipping an own goal and conceding a penalty in an error-strewn display which the new franchise in Missouri won 3-1.

Christian Lattanzio was officially given the permanent manager’s position in October after taking interim charge of the club midway through Charlotte’s inaugural season of MLS last term.

The 51-year-old former assistant to Patrick Vieira at New York City FC and Nice lost his first match of the new season to New England Revolution, watching on as Henry Kessler nabbed an 89th-minute winner in front of Charlotte’s home crowd.

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Gonzalo Pineda managed to keep his job in charge of Atlanta despite overseeing the joint-worst league season in the club’s history, replicating the lows of a COVID-curtailed 2020 season as his side finished 23rd in the overall table.

In a bid to forge a rivalry between these two clubs, a significant section of Charlotte’s fearsome fanbase gleefully declared their side ‘Kings of the South’ after finishing two places above Atlanta in last season’s Eastern Conference.

The home team have prevailed on the only two previous meetings between these southern sides, with Atlanta claiming the inaugural derby victory in March before Charlotte triumphed at the Bank of America Stadium a month later.

Atlanta can boast one of the most exciting prospects in the division in the form of 21-year-old Argentina international Thiago Almada; the World Cup winner scored two spectacular efforts in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory for his side against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Almada rolled the ball back for Matheus Rossetto to equalise against Toronto FC last weekend but could not replicate his last-gasp heroics as Atlanta were forced to settle for a draw.

Charlotte FC Major League Soccer form:

Atlanta United Major League Soccer form:

Team News

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Both Guzman Corujo and Adam Armour are expected to be sidelined for Charlotte while they recover from knee surgery.

Vinicius Mello is struggling with a chest problem while Charlotte’s first-choice goalkeeper, Kristijan Kahlina, is set to miss the first six weeks of the season after undergoing an operation on his back – Pablo Sisniega has started the first two games of the new campaign between the sticks.

Atlanta’s Tyler Wolff, the son of Austin FC’s manager Josh Wolff, picked up a shoulder injury before the new season began following his return from an unsuccessful loan spell in the Belgian second tier with SK Beveren.

Fellow forward Machop Chol is nursing a hamstring issue while Osvaldo Alonso is in the final stages of his recovery from an ACL rupture last April.

Georgios Giakoumakis had his Atlanta debut delayed due to issues with his P-1 visa but the former Celtic striker got the green light to feature last weekend, coming off the bench for the final half-hour of the 1-1 draw against Toronto.

Santiago Sosa is available once again after seeing out his three-game suspension which was awarded after the Atlanta midfielder used a homophobic slur during the penultimate match of the previous MLS campaign.

Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Sisniega; Byrne, Tuiloma, Malanda, Bronico; Westwood, Jones, Shinyashiki; Swiderski, Copetti, Jozwiak

Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Lennon, Robinson, Purata, Gutman; Rossetto, Ibarra; Araujo, Almada, Wiley; Giakoumakis

We say: Charlotte FC 1-1 Atlanta United

In a run starting with their defeat against Charlotte last April, Atlanta have conspired to win just one of their previous 15 away games.

However, with the likes of Almada pulling the strings behind a freshly available Giakoumakis, Atlanta could earn a draw against their emerging rivals from the club’s first away trip of the new season.

How to watch

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