Atlanta United rallies past New York Red Bulls behind goals from Muyumba and Picault

Atlanta United came from behind to beat New York Red Bulls 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in an MLS matchup that looked headed toward another tough result for the home side until the second half changed everything. Tristan Muyumba and Fafà Picault flipped a scoreline that Emil Forsberg had opened just minutes into the game.

A fast start for the visitors, then a decisive response

Things got complicated for Atlanta in a hurry. In the 5th minute, Emil Forsberg struck a left-footed shot from the middle of the box after a through ball from Adri Mehmeti, and it found the bottom corner, just inside the left post, to make it 0-1 for New York Red Bulls. Riding a dominant share of possession, the visitors looked comfortable for much of the first half and pushed forward more often against Lucas Hoyos' goal, though that edge in the run of play never translated into a second goal before the break.

Atlanta had its moments too: Aleksey Miranchuk tested the keeper from distance and Fafà Picault came close with a header, but the 0-1 scoreline held into halftime. The response came in the second half. In the 68th minute, Tristan Muyumba, set up by Miranchuk, curled a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top corner to make it 1-1. The goal shifted the momentum, and Atlanta found the go-ahead goal in the 81st minute: off a corner kick, Miguel Almirón whipped in a cross and Fafà Picault, heading it in from point-blank range, sent it low into the bottom corner near the left post for the final 2-1.

New York Red Bulls pushed for an equalizer in stoppage time, with a shot from Julian Hall that was saved, but couldn't threaten the home goal again in the minutes that remained.

By the numbers

The stats show the visitors held the edge in possession and volume of play, though that dominance never quite translated into a clear advantage in terms of the best scoring chances.

Atlanta generated more clear-cut chances despite seeing less of the ball, something also reflected in the match's post-match xG: 1.74 for the home side against 1.76 for the visitors, numbers so close they confirm the game was far more balanced than the possession split suggested.

What the preview said versus what happened

Ahead of kickoff, our projection gave Atlanta United a 43% chance of winning, 25% for a draw and 32% for New York Red Bulls, with expected goals of 1.86 for the home side and 1.60 for the visitors. The result ended up matching that favorite status despite the rough start at home: Atlanta needed a comeback, but it confirmed the forecast with its second-half response.

What the result means

In the MLS Eastern Conference standings, both teams came into this match near the bottom of the table. New York Red Bulls sit in 8th place with 25 points from 19 games (7 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses), while Atlanta United are 15th with 15 points from 19 games (4 wins, 3 draws and 12 losses), a 10-point gap between the two sides. For Atlanta, this come-from-behind win offers a breath of fresh air in a difficult season, while for New York Red Bulls it means watching a lead they had built from the opening minute slip away.