Mirunchuk To Start For Atlanta In MLS Playoff Clash

Atlanta United will face Inter Miami in the MLS playoffs, with Russian midfielder Aleksei Miranchuk set to start for the Five Stripes.

Mirunchuk has been in impressive form for Atlanta since joining the club in March, scoring twice and registering four goal contributions in the regular season. With Josef Martinez ruled out through injury, Miranchuk is likely to lead Atlanta's attack alongside Thiago Almada and Luiz Araujo.

Atlanta United finished the regular season in second place in the Eastern Conference, earning a bye to the first round of the playoffs. They will face Inter Miami, the seventh-placed team in the conference, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday.

Inter Miami will be without their leading goalscorer Gonzalo Higuain. Despite having been linked with a sensational move to the UK, Higuain has been ruled out through injury.

Atlanta will be confident of victory against Inter Miami, but they will need to be wary of the threat posed by the Argentine forward Leonardo Campana and the England international Kieran Gibbs.

The match is set to be a fascinating tactical battle between Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda and Inter Miami boss Phil Neville. Pineda is likely to field a 4-3-3 formation with Miranchuk, Almada and Araujo as the front three, while Neville is expected to opt for a 3-4-3 formation with Campana leading the line.

The match is due to kick off at 7pm ET on Thursday, October 20th. It will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN+.