After a historic win over Club América in Mexico City on Tuesday, Nashville have a rivalry match on tap, taking on Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday night.
Speaking of on tap, we're hosting a watch party with 440 Sports at East Nashville Beer Works! Come hang out with us and watch the game, and get $1 off drafts if you're wearing Nashville gear!
We’re hosting a watch party with @440Sports at @eastnashbeer on Saturday for Nashville SC’s match against Atlanta United!
— SixOneFive Soccer (@615Soccer) April 14, 2026
Fans wearing Nashville SC gear will get $1 off all drafts, plus we’ll have merch and prize pack giveaways.
Come hang with us! pic.twitter.com/CCD0m8WXUT
Match info
Teams: Atlanta United vs Nashville SC
Referees: Allen Chapman (Ref), Cory Richardson (AR1), Ben Pilgrim (AR2), Sergii Boiko (4th), Filip Dujić (VAR), Tom Supple (AVAR)
Odds: ATL (+220), Draw (+240), NSH (+110)
Date: Saturday, April 118, 2026
Time: 6:30 pm CT, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
TV: Apple TV
Apple TV Commentary: Josh Eastern & Calen Carr (English), Ramses Sandoval, Miguel Gallardo (Spanish)
Radio: 104.5 The Zone
Radio Commentary (104.5): Lucas Panzica
Forecast: 87º/64º. 84 at kickoff (indoor). Partly cloudy. 2-10 mph winds. 0% chance of rain. 49% humidity.
Head-to-head
Nashville wins: 5
Nashville goals: 22
Draws: 5
Atlanta wins: 4
Atlanta goals: 20
Last meeting: NSH 0-1 ATL (August 30, 2025 | MLS)
Southern Championship Belt meets El Ribereño
Nashville's rivalry with Atlanta United goes back to the beginning – literally.
The Five Stripes were Nashville's first opponent as a professional club, a 2-1 win in a friendly ahead of their 2018 USL season in front of a packed, rain-soacked crowd at First Tennessee Park.
"When that whistle blew, soccer in Nashville changed forever." How @NashvilleSC fans feted this weekend's match vs. @ATLUTD: https://t.co/46qBBXR5DQ pic.twitter.com/i7ZGAHC344
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 12, 2018
Atlanta were also the opponent for Nashville's first-ever match in MLS, a 2-1 loss at Nissan Stadium in front of a Tennessee-record 59,069 fans. Through 14 matches in all competitions, fans (and MLS) have tried to turn this into a heated rivalry. While it hasn't been that, it has resulted in good-natured banter between two friendly clubs.
Fans have coined a few terms for this "rivalry", but the most creative is El Ribereño. Coined by Paradise Pod's John Haubenreich, the name references a long-running water rights dispute between Tennessee and Georgia dating back to 1887, and has increased in recent years due to Atlanta's increasing demand for water resources.
SixOneFive Soccer Staff
Availability report
SixOneFive Soccer Staff
Atlanta United
The numbers
Goal leaders: Alexey Miranchuk (4), Emmanuel Latte Lath, Tomás Jacob (1)
Assist leaders: Miguel Almirón (2), Emmanual Latte Lath, Elías Báez (1)
Last match: CHI 1-o ATL (MLS regular season)
Data Power Rankings: 27th (2.93 score)
Atlanta snapshot
Atlanta United have been one of the more disappointing sides in MLS recently. They roared to life as an expansion team in 2017, and their 69-point season in 2018 remains the sixth-best single season in MLS history (for more info like this, check out the "records" tab of our new standings app).
After three consecutive seasons of making the playoffs proper (and just two postseason appearances since 2020), the Five Stripes brought back legendary manager Tata Martino this offseason to bring them back to their former level, reuniting with the coach who won them MLS Cup in 2018. It... hasn't quite worked.
Through seven matches, the Five Stripes have just one win, scoring less than a goal a game and generally struggling to find a tactical identity. Players like Miguel Almirón – in his second stint with the club – don't have the legs anymore to be a counter-attack, open-field juggernaut like they were in their heyday. But players like Emmanual Latte Lath – a former MLS record signing at $22 million – aren't super effective in possession.
"My biggest fear is that Latte Lath just doesn't fit the profile of an MLS striker," Scarves and Spikes' Sydney Hunte told SixOneFive Soccer. "When he does get service, he's wasteful and lacks confidence. Outside of that, he's been relatively anonymous and has failed to impact matches... Miguel Almirón simply isn't the player he was in 2017 and 2018."
SixOneFive Soccer Staff
Minutes after our interview with Scarves and Spikes' Sydney Hunte was published, Atlanta announced that Miguel Almirón will miss the next one to two weeks with "knee irritation". Hunte says to expect former Nashville winger Fafà Picault to take Almirón's place, with Saba Lobjanidze sliding over to the right flank.
Latte Lath also looks like he'll be available after being held out of the midweek US Open Cup win over Chattanooga FC. Whether or not he's ready to start is another question, but he should be involved.
Atlanta have been really poor at home this season, winning just one of four games at the Benz, and conceding a whopping seven goals so far. They're getting into desperation territory to start earning meaningful results.
Predicted XI
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Nashville SC
The numbers
Goal leaders: Sam Surridge (7), Cristian Espinoza, Warren Madrigal, Hany Mukhtar (2)
Assist leaders: Patrick Yazbek (3), Cristian Espinoza (2)
Last match: AME 0-1 NSH (April 14, 2026 | CCC)
Data Power Rankings: 3rd (24.95 score)
Nashville SC snapshot
Nashville are in form and just pulled off one of the biggest results in club history midweek, taking down Club América in a statement victory.
Ben Wright
So far, they've balanced competing in multiple competitions as well as any MLS club has done, even grabbing a 2-1 win on the road against a very difficult Charlotte FC side despite heavy rotation. With a full week between games, they'll likely play a fairly strong lineup to try and continue their MLS form.
Sam Surridge is the biggest question heading into the match. The striker missed the trip to Mexico City midweek with a hamstring injury, and head coach BJ Callaghan confirmed on Friday that while he's recovering, he's still a bit of a question for tomorrow.
BJ Callaghan says Sam Surridge is questionable for tomorrow’s match in Atlanta. He says he’s made good progress over the last few days, but “still has to clear a few hurdles” to be cleared of Saturday. He says both Jeisson Palacios and Reed Baker-Whiting are fine.
— Ben Wright (@benwright.bsky.social) 2026-04-17T16:54:55.716Z
As Hany Mukhtar rounds into form, he's nearing his 100th goal in all competitions. Could he get it against the Five Stripes? A hat-trick would put him in rarified air and add to his legendary status in Nashville.
Predicted XI
Staff predictions
Ben Wright
Score: ATL 1-3 NSH
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar (x3)
MOTM: Hany Mukhtar
Bold prediction: Mukhtar has scored more goals against Atlanta than all but two MLS teams. He's at the point of the season where he starts heating up, and I think he goes off on Saturday and gets his 100th goal for Nashville.
Chris Ivey
Score: ATL 0-2 NSH
Scorers: Warren Madrigal, Cristian Espinoza
MOTM: Cristian Espinoza
Bold prediction: An early lead and then Nashville chokes the life out of the Five Stripes, emptying out the Benz in notable fashion.
Jeff Remlinger
Score: ATL 0-0 NSH
Scorers:
MOTM: Maxwell Woledzi
Bold prediction: A lethargic Nashville and terrible Atlanta can't score against each other.
Ronan Briscoe
Score: ATL 0-3 NSH
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar (x3)
MOTM: Hany Mukhtar
Bold prediction: Every time I predict an emotional letdown spot it never comes true so I'll try something different.
Valair Shabilla
Score: ATL 1-1 NSH
Scorers: Warren Madrigal
MOTM: Warren Madrigal
Bold prediction: Atlanta gets one early and Nashville equalize late.
