Every game down the stretch means everything. From top to bottom, Atlanta United knows points are crucial at this point in the 2025 campaign. But as Nashville SC looms, there's no denying this match means more.
Tristan Muyumba and Stian Gregersen said as much this week.
"First of all, we have to win this game for us, for our pride," Muyumba said after training Tuesday. "We know it's a local derby. We want to win to stay alive and keep trying everything to the end."
"We always want to win, but of course, it's a derby," Gregersen said after training Thursday. "It's a little bit extra. You can feel it."
Three points away against the third-place team in the Eastern Conference will require a well-prepared and intense effort from the 5-Stripes. The week leading up to the match has been full of training sessions that have mimicked the intensity they'll need to show Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
What we saw Thursday and what we could see Saturday
A morning dew covered the grass at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground for the first time since the start of the summer Thursday morning. As players trotted out onto the field, their footprints made visible trails until the rondos shook all the water away.
The session was full of close-quarters scrimmaging, with legs flying everywhere. The open portion of training saw the 5-Stripes practicing a possession drill they've utilized a few times in recent weeks that calls on a central midfielder and central defender to help move the ball through relentlessly pressing defenders. Bartosz Slisz and Enea Mihaj were two of the players who donned the yellow penny.
Atlanta United will have to embody that physical product is at GEODIS Park Saturday night against a capable Nashville side. The hosts are third in the Eastern Conference this season with a few key attackers producing at a high level this season. Sam Surridge leads MLS with 20 goals, and Hany Mukhtar has chipped in 25 goal contributions himself.
The foundation of a good defensive performance, in Deila's mind, is what will lead his side to results; They can't count on scoring three or four goals every match, especially on the road.
"It starts with that, the defense, the organization, the reactions in the team," Deila said after training Thursday.
Surridge and Mukhtar are plenty reason enough to spend time drilling defense during the week, but Deila understands the rest of the Nashville squad brings similar challenges.
"I like when it's a little bit [of a] fight in the stands also, and there's more talk around the game," Gregersen said.
The result in the reverse fixture. Though that match was back in early May, Deila says there are still things his side can take from that match. There's continuity in the Nashville side, managerially and in personnel, so watching back the 1-1 draw — particularly the first half where Atlanta United led 1-0 — could yield some benefits.
No matter how it gets done, the 5-Stripes will be playing for three points in a late playoff push and a rivalry win against a familiar Southern foe.
"First of all, we have to win this game for us, for our pride," Muyumba said. "We know it's a local derby. We want to win to stay alive and keep trying everything to the end."
That proximity means we should see plenty of 17s in Nashville Saturday night.
"Even during this difficult season, they stay behind us, they keep pushing us, even when we play away," Muyumba said Tuesday. "They always support us. I want to thank them and to promise them, I'm pretty sure the future's going to be bright for the squad."
Jayden Hibbert gets another chance
There are no guarantees in sports, and until the match kicks off, you can never truly say if a player will start a match or not. That being said, Deila made his intentions clear on who he'll pick to be in goal Saturday.
"[Jayden Hibbert] will start now, as well," Deila said. "Don't take him out when he keeps a clean sheet."
Hibbert has built quite the early resume in his first three career starts with the First Team: just two goals conceded, 15 shots saved and a clean sheet against Toronto FC at home. Deila has long said he's a believer in feel when it comes to coaching, and he wants Hibbert to stay in his groove.
The young shot stopper has been just as effective with the ball at his feet, distributing in the face of pressure and jumpstarting spells of possession. Gregersen, like the rest of the defense, is getting used to his tendencies when passing around the back.
Hibbert is to credit for his rapid development, but he'll be the first to tell you his support system is critical. Deila pointed out how Brad Guzan and goalkeeping coach Elliot Parish have played a role in Hibbert's rise.
"He has a goalkeeper that has [played in the] Premier League in front of him, so seeing him every day, see how he trains, see how he behaves," Deila said. "Elliot has a lot of experience as well. I'm sure [Jayden] will say, give a lot of credit to them."
Still, that drive to get better, all the extra shots he faces after training, all the mental fortitude to step into the spotlight as a 20-year-old, that's all Jayden.
"In the end, it's also about yourself," Deila said. "You know that you're willing to sacrifice, that you're willing to take information and to improve, and that's what he has done."
