TODAY’S MATCHUP

Atlanta United (3-2-1) vs. Philadelphia (3-0-3), 2:30 p.m., Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Fox, AppleTV

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA

■ Manager: Jim Curtin

■ Away record: 2-0-2

■ Goals for/against: 12/ 7

■ Expected goals for/

against: 10.9/ 7.6

■ Key players

Daniel Gazdag: Four goals, one assist

Julian Carranza: Four goals Mikael Uhre: Two goals, one assist

ABOUT ATLANTA UNITED

■ Manager: Gonzalo Pineda

■ Home record: 3-0-0

■ Goals for/against: 10/5

■ Expected goals for/ against: 9.5/ 8.5

■ All-time vs. Philadelphia:

5-4-5, 4-1-3 home

■ Key players

Thiago Almada: 11 goals, 19 assists last season Saba Lobjanidze: One goal, three assists Brooks Lennon: Three assists

INJURY REPORTS

■ Atlanta United Out: Stian Gregersen (knee), Xande Silva (adductor), Jamal Thiare (hamstring), Derrick Williams (calf) and Giorgos Giakoumakis (knee).

■ Philadelphia None reported.

STORYLINES TO WATCH

1. Who is left up top?

Atlanta United will be without five starters: Giakoumakis, who leads the team with five goals, centerbacks Gregersen and Williams and winger Silva, as well as backup striker Thiare, who is second with three goals. Daniel Rios is the last healthy striker. He has missed the past two games because of an injury.

2. Getting a good start.

The team will play four of its next five matches at home. Getting a positive result against Philadelphia would

build momentum for the next games and help the club to try to accomplish its goal of getting into the top four and challenging for the Supporters Shield.

3. Getting Thiago Almada going.

Almada, an MVP finalist last season after scoring 11 goals and leading the league with 19 assists, doesn’t have a goal or an assist in his past three matches, tying for the second-longest drought in his MLS career in regular-season games. He has scored only one goal this season and has no assists. Almada’s non-penalty expected goals last season was 7.2, according to fbref.com, so some of his lack of scoring this season can be attributed to mathematical regression. But with Giakoumakis, Thiare and Silva out, Almada finding some of last season’s luck would benefit the club.

UNITED’S PREDICTED 11

■ Goalkeeper Brad Guzan

■ Centerback Luis Abram

■ Centerback Noah Cobb

■ Right fullback Brooks Lennon

■ Left fullback Caleb Wiley

■ Defensive midfielder Bartosz Slisz

■ Midfielder Tristan Muyumba

■ Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada

■ Winger Saba Lobjanidze

■ Winger Tyler Wolff

■ Striker Daniel Rios

Thiago Almada