MLS Match Preview: Atlanta United FC (9-18-6) vs. New York Red Bulls (11-16-6)

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Sports Illustrated Stadium (formerly Red Bull Arena) in Harrison, New Jersey.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.

The match streams on Apple TV (MLS Season Pass).

This is an Eastern Conference clash on the final day of the regular season. Both teams sit outside the playoff picture (Red Bulls around 9th–10th with ~39 points; Atlanta around 12th–14th with ~33 points) and are playing for pride, final positioning, and momentum heading into the offseason.

Venue and Weather

Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, NJ (capacity ~25,000–26,000). Forecast for Saturday: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers later, highs around 59–66°F (15–19°C), lows in the mid-40s°F, light northwest/west winds 5–11 mph. Mild late-autumn conditions overall.

Current Records and Context

New York Red Bulls: 11-16-6 (~39 points), mid-to-lower table in the East. Home form has been mixed but they hold a strong historical edge at this venue against Atlanta.

Atlanta United FC: 9-18-6 (~33 points), near the bottom of the East with a negative goal difference (around -14). Recent results have been inconsistent, though they secured a solid home win over Toronto in their last outing.

This is the second meeting of the 2026 season (Atlanta won the earlier encounter 2-1 at home in August).

Recent Form

New York Red Bulls: Patchy late-season form with several losses mixed with occasional wins (e.g., recent results include a loss at Nashville and a home win over Inter Miami). They average competitive shot volumes but have struggled defensively at times (conceding around 1.8–2 goals per game overall). Key contributors include Julian Hall (strong goal tally, multiple in recent games) and Jorge Ruvalcaba.

Atlanta United: Mixed bag, including a 3-1 home win over Toronto FC, a loss at NYCFC, and earlier defeats to Chicago and Inter Miami, offset by a 3-0 road win at Montréal. Miguel Almirón and Aleksey Miranchuk provide creativity; Breel Embolo has contributed goals in recent stretches. Defensive vulnerabilities persist.

Injury Reports

New York Red Bulls: Justin Che (knee/out); Cameron Harper listed as injured in some reports. Other absences limited.

Atlanta United: Enea Mihaj (hip/out), Will Reilly (ankle/out); Daniel Chica (injured in some reports). Squad otherwise relatively available.

Current Rosters / Expected Key Players and Predicted Lineups

New York Red Bulls (often 4-3-3 under Michael Bradley): Goalkeepers Ethan Horvath, John McCarthy; defenders Tim Parker, Dylan Nealis, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Devin Padelford, Justin Che (out); midfielders Emil Forsberg, Ronald Donkor, Adri Mehmeti, Mohammed Sofo; attackers Julian Hall (top scorer, ~12–13 goals), Jorge Ruvalcaba, Cade Cowell, Cameron Harper (status), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Predicted XI elements often feature Horvath; Marshall-Rutty/Nealis/Parker/Padelford; Mehmeti/Donkor/Sofo; Hall, Ruvalcaba, Cowell.

Atlanta United (typically 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 under Gerardo “Tata” Martino): Goalkeepers Lucas Hoyos, Jayden Hibbert; defenders Júnior Alonso, Paulo Díaz, Tomás Jacob, Elías Báez, Matt Edwards, Enea Mihaj (out); midfielders Tristan Muyumba, Mauricio Amaro, Cooper Sanchez, Aleksey Miranchuk, Giuliano Galoppo; attackers Miguel Almirón, Breel Embolo, Fafà Picault.
Predicted XI elements often feature Hoyos; Báez/Alonso/Díaz/Jacob; Amaro/Muyumba/Sanchez; Almirón, Miranchuk, Embolo.

Key Player vs. Player Matchups

Julian Hall / Jorge Ruvalcaba / Cade Cowell (Red Bulls) vs. Atlanta back line (Alonso, Díaz, Jacob, Báez): Hall’s movement and finishing against a back line that has conceded regularly. Ruvalcaba’s creativity adds another layer.

Miguel Almirón / Aleksey Miranchuk / Breel Embolo (Atlanta) vs. Red Bulls defense (Nealis, Parker, Marshall-Rutty) and Horvath: Almirón’s chance creation and Embolo’s physical presence test New York’s organization. Midfield battles (Forsberg/Donkor vs. Miranchuk/Muyumba) will be pivotal for control and transitions.

Set pieces and high-press intensity favor the home side’s style, while Atlanta’s technical quality could produce counters.

Series History

New York holds a clear overall series advantage (roughly 9–11 wins to Atlanta’s 3–4, with several draws across regular-season meetings). At Sports Illustrated Stadium / former Red Bull Arena, the Red Bulls are particularly strong (unbeaten or dominant in many home games vs. Atlanta, outscoring them significantly in some tallies). Atlanta’s 2-1 home win earlier in 2026 is a recent bright spot for the visitors. High-scoring potential exists based on past encounters.

Betting Trends

Trends lean toward the home side due to venue advantage and Atlanta’s overall struggles, though both teams have defensive issues that support overs or BTTS. Red Bulls perform well when scoring 2+ goals historically.

MATCH ODDS

Atlanta United FC            + 260

New York Red Bulls         – 118

Draw                                     + 332

Over 3.5 – 113                   Under 3.5 – 113

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, November 6, 2026

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