A three-match homestand comes to a close this weekend when Atlanta United hosts New England Revolution at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for an afternoon kickoff at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. After a draw last weekend, the 5-Stripes need all three points this Saturday before two difficult road matches coming up on the schedule. Both of Atlanta’s wins this season have come at home so far in 2025. New England has had a difficult start to the season with only one victory out of six matches. Historically, Atlanta has had the upper hand in this matchup at home as the 5-Stripes have accumulated a 5-1-2 (W-L-T) record in home matches against the Revolution. Let’s take a look at the Tools to the Match presented by Home Depot against New England Revolution.
Find the finishing touch in final third
Through the opening seven matches this season, Atlanta’s attack has shown its quality on occasion. One of the points of emphasis is to become more consistent and show that quality more often. They are still building chemistry on the attacking end and fans can see that the players are getting closer.
Once the front four clicks, Atlanta’s attack will be one of the most dangerous in the league. Latte Lath showed his skill and pace against Dallas and won a penalty. His five goals through seven games are the second-most in franchise history for a players’ first seven MLS games played. If Atlanta can create scoring opportunities, especially for Latte Lath, they will be in a good position to keep the three points at home.
Stop Carles Gil, stop the Revolution
It’s not often you can say that a team is built around one singular figure, but the Revolution is the exception to that rule. Attacking midfielder Carles Gil is a former MVP and has been a dominant player for the Revs for the last several seasons. He’s also had good success against Atlanta, as the Spaniard has four goals and four assists in nine career matches. This season, Gil is responsible for two of the teams’ three goals scored on the season. He has also created 10 key passes, the most on the team.
Atlanta’s defense and defensive midfield has to be aware of Gil’s whereabouts at all times. He will drift all over the field, so communication is key for Atlanta’s players to not allow Gil time and space to create quality scoring chances.
Keep defensive focus for full 90 minutes
Atlanta’s defense will face another test on Saturday against New England. In order to earn the second clean sheet of the season, the 5-Stripes need to keep their defensive focus and shape for the full 90 minutes. Individual errors or mental lapses have cost the team in the first seven matches of the season. In other moments, the defense has looked really solid, as Atlanta has dominated teams for long stretches in nearly every match this year. Last weekend, Luis Abram and Matt Edwards came into the starting back line and both had good moments in the match. Whether it was making crucial slide tackles or last-second blocks as Dallas was shooting, the defense looked solid for a long period of time. This Saturday, they need to stay locked in for the full 90 minutes. If they can do that, Atlanta will pick up an important early season win.
