Match Preview – D.C. United vs. Atlanta United FC, Saturday, October 18, 2025
D.C. United ends the 2025 MLS Regular season with a trip to Atlanta this Saturday, October 18 with kickoff set for 6 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Black-and-Red will look to close the season out with a win away from home, after narrowly losing 1-0 at home last week to Charlotte FC. Head Coach René Weiler will need to make changes to his previous lineup as D.C. United will be without goalkeeper Luis Barraza and defender Aaron Herrera, who are serving red card suspensions.
Atlanta is coming off a 4-0 loss on the road to Inter Miami CF and are winless in the last five matches across all competitions. They will be without four key players in Will Reilly, Matthew Eddwards, Brooks Lennon, and Ajani Fortune, all who are dealing with injuries. Atlanta will look to get its offense going after being shutout in its last three matches. Forward Emmanuel Latte Lath will look to get his eighth goal of the season and link up with midfielder Miguel Almirón, who leads the team with seven assists. The Black-and-Red will need to keep both in check in order to limit their chances in front of goal.
The Black-and-Red offense will look to lean on captain Christian Benteke to get on the scoresheet. Benteke leads the team with nine goals and has three goals in five matches against Atlanta United all-time. With Luis Barraza out this weekend, Head Coach René Weiler will rely on Jordan Farr in goal, who came into the Charlotte FC match and recorded three crucial saves. Midfielder Gabriel Pirani will look to add to his tally of six goals and four assists, while forward João Peglow will look take on defenders and culminate his first season with the Black-and-Red with a win. Peglow has three goals and four assists in 23 MLS appearances this season.
The previous matchup against Atlanta United on July 5 at Audi Field ended in a 0-0 draw after an impressive defensive performance from both sides. The Black-and-Red outshot Atlanta 9-6, with seven shots coming from inside the box. Meanwhile, Atlanta won the possession battle 57.5% to D.C. United’s 42.5%, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan made two crucial saves, keeping Christian Benteke at bay. D.C. United was also without Gabriel Pirani who was sidelined with an injury.
D.C. United will look to get its eighth overall win against Atlanta United in all-time regular season matchups and finish the season on a positive note. Weiler and company need to neutralize Atlanta's midfield and limit chances in front of goal to hand them their 17th loss of the season.
By the Numbers | D.C. United vs. Charlotte FC | October 4, 2025
- Goalkeeper Jordan Farr recorded three saves in 69 minutes after replacing Luis Barraza, who was sent off in the 21st minute.
- Jackson Hopkins returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous match against Philadelphia through injury.
- Defender Conner Antley made his 20th career MLS start for the Black-and-Red, playing the full 90 minutes.
- Defender Lukas MacNaughton made his 10th career MLS appearance for the Black-and-Red, coming on as a 70th-minute substitute.
- Defender Kye Rowles made his 25th career MLS appearance for the Black-and-Red.
How to Watch
D.C. United fans can catch all the action live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Radio broadcasts will be available on 1190 iHeart Sports DC, 101.1 HD2, and the iHeartRadio App, featuring the familiar voices of Dave Johnson and Bruce Murray on the call. Supporters watching on MLS Season Pass can also opt to listen to the local radio broadcast feed.
D.C. United Youth Programs
D.C. United Youth Programs are open to players of various ages and ability levels, from beginners, to more advanced youth soccer players. We provide a variety of soccer programs from skills clinics and camps to our pre-Academy program: the Regional Development School.
