Atlanta United tops Montreal, secures back-to-back wins

However, the first 10 minutes almost told a very different story.

Montreal got the scoring started early when midfielder Matthew Longstaff knocked in a short goal in the sixth minute. United defender Enea Mihaj made a critical error in Atlanta’s penalty area, turning the ball over at the top of the box, directly to Montreal’s leading scorer, Prince Owusu, who hit Longstaff in stride.

A theme United manager Gerardo Martino has emphasized this season is overcoming the hangover when the opposition scores first. Not only did Atlanta find the equalizer, but it also scored two more for the comeback victory.

“We’ve seen games this season where we haven’t been able to (come back), and we have gotten desperate and gotten disorganized in that situation,” Martino said.

Saba Lobjanidze equalized for the Five Stripes in the 41st minute with a turnaround shot, and while Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier made contact with the ball, the strike still forced its way into the back of the net. United’s top scorer, Alexey Miranchuk, made the assist.

It was Lobjanidze’s first goal since October 2024, when the forward notched a team-high 10 goals that year. Lobjanidze scored again in the 51st minute to seal the victory before heading to the bench in the 64th minute with a brace — his first since May 2024.

Midfielder Cooper Sanchez earned the assist, the first of the 18-year-old’s MLS career.

Striker Emmanuel Latte Lath recorded Atlanta’s go-ahead score in stoppage time before halftime, just seconds before the whistle was meant to blow. Latte Lath made his first start in two games, after he had struggled a bit out of the gate this season.

It was his second score of 2026 after topping Atlanta with seven goals last season. Miranchuk assisted again, marking his first two of the year.

“The decision to start both of them had to do with we’re coming off two wins this week, and this was kind of the way to close that circle with these two players being able to play and playing well,” Martino said. “But not even when I was planning the game did I expect that we would have a result like that.”

Miranchuk leads Atlanta with six goals through all competitions. He scored in United’s two MLS victories, first versus the Philadelphia Union and then against Toronto. The 30-year-old midfielder also found the net in the Open Cup round of 16, as the Five Stripes advanced past Charlotte FC on Tuesday.

Atlanta did not back down from the challenge of falling behind or Montreal’s physicality. It was a chippy match that featured five yellow cards for both teams and a red card for Montreal’s Brayan Vera in second-half stoppage time.

Miguel Almirón missed the previous two matches after sustaining a knee injury in the Open Cup round of 32 versus MLS Next Pro squad Chattanooga FC. He was questionable for Saturday’s match but was ultimately inactive.

Without their captain and playmaker, the Five Stripes stacked wins for the first time since May 2025. Atlanta improves to 3-7-1, jumping Montreal in the standings, as the two squads came into the match as No. 12 and 13 in the Eastern Conference.

United remains at home for its next matchday, when the LA Galaxy come to town May 9, as the Five Stripes look for back-to-back home wins for the first time since 2021.

“We talked about it before the game with the players that the team owed the fan base a win,” Martino said. “It’s very important because they’re the ones who continue to support and provide that energy. But again, as we’ve said, it’s up to us to offer that.”