Orlando City faces a quick turnaround after a 1-0 victory over San Diego FC, heading up to Atlanta for a midweek matchup.
The Lions (8-11-4, 28 points) are looking for three points against Atlanta United (6-13-4, 22 points) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
“As a rivalry game, it’s always a tough match, but I believe in ourselves. We’re a good team; we have the competitiveness in us to go out on the road and compete,” Orlando defender Bernardo Rhein said. “It will be a good game, but we’ll get the dub.”
The rivalry between Orlando and Atlanta has been hotly contested since Atlanta joined Major League Soccer in 2017. Atlanta leads the series with 12 wins, while Orlando has seven. The two sides have drawn eight times against each other. The Lions have only two victories on the road against Atlanta, a 2-1 win in 2023 and a 3-1 victory in 2020.
Atlanta has struggled this season, particularly on offense. The Three Stripes are averaging 1.17 goals per match, and Aleksey Miranchuk leads the team with five goals and six assists. They signed Swiss forward Breel Embolo in the summer transfer window, and he scored in his first appearance on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Inter Miami.
Orlando, meanwhile, has started to show signs of improvement. The offense is roaring, led by Antoine Griezmann (5 goals, 3 assists) and Martin Ojeda (11 goals), who recently returned from injury. The defense earned its third clean sheet of the season against San Diego, and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau ranks third in MLS with 4.2 saves per match.
Perelman will need David Brekalo and Robin Jansson to build off their performance against San Diego if the Lions want to earn all three points in Atlanta. Embolo poses a potent threat, with the potential to expose any gaps allowed by an Orlando team that likes to get its fullbacks involved in the attack. Good communication between the two centerbacks is vital for Orlando.
Orlando’s next match is at home against Toronto FC on Saturday.