Montréal vs Atlanta: Resumen

CF Montréal and Atlanta United FC battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Stade Saputo on a warm Saturday evening in Montreal, leaving both sides with mixed emotions in this crucial MLS fixture. The August 9th clash featured moments of brilliance from both teams, though Atlanta will feel they should have converted their statistical dominance into three points.

Dante Sealy gave the home side the lead against the run of play in the 40th minute, finishing clinically after a well-crafted attacking sequence involving Caden Clark. The goal energized the passionate Montréal faithful who created a cauldron of noise at Stade Saputo despite their team's struggles this season.

Atlanta's persistent pressure finally paid dividends when Aleksei Miranchuk headed home the equalizer from a corner kick in the 87th minute, silencing the home crowd. The Russian international nearly snatched all three points for the visitors in stoppage time when his curling effort struck the crossbar in the 93rd minute, leaving Atlanta players with heads in hands.

Montréal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, making his first MLS start, faced significant pressure throughout the match but performed admirably to keep his team competitive despite Atlanta's 16 shots and dominant 64% possession.

The result leaves CF Montréal still searching for just their second home win of the 2025 campaign, while Atlanta United will view this as two points dropped given their statistical superiority (3.1 xG compared to Montréal's 0.7). Both teams remain mid-table in the Eastern Conference as they continue their push for playoff positioning with the business end of the season approaching.

"We showed tremendous resilience today against a very talented Atlanta side," said CF Montréal coach Marco Donadel. "While we would have preferred all three points at home, I'm proud of how our players defended against significant pressure. Thomas [Gillier] was exceptional in goal, and Dante [Sealy] continues to show his finishing quality. We're building something special here despite the challenges."

"The statistics tell the story – we created enough chances to win two matches today," lamented Atlanta United coach Ronny Deila. "Football can be cruel sometimes. Credit to Montréal for defending with determination, but when you generate an expected goals value over 3.0, you expect to leave with all three points. Aleksei's late goal saved us from a defeat that would have been entirely undeserved."

"Making my first MLS start was a dream come true, especially at Stade Saputo," revealed Montréal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier. "Atlanta put us under immense pressure, but our defensive unit stayed compact. Obviously conceding late is disappointing, but earning a point against such a strong attacking team gives us confidence moving forward."

"The crossbar in the final minute? I still can't believe it didn't go in," said Atlanta's Aleksei Miranchuk. "I struck it perfectly and thought it was destined for the top corner. That's football – sometimes inches separate joy from disappointment. We'll take the point and focus on our upcoming fixtures, but this feels like two points dropped rather than one gained."

"Montreal-Atlanta matches always deliver intensity," noted MLS analyst Carlos Bocanegra. "Despite the positions of these teams in the standings, the quality on display was evident. Atlanta's attack looks increasingly fluid with Miranchuk's integration, while Montréal continues to show flashes of potential despite their inconsistency this season."

Possession: A striking disparity was evident as Atlanta United dominated with 64% compared to CF Montréal's 36%, highlighting the visitors' control throughout much of the contest.

Shots: Atlanta generated 16 total attempts compared to Montréal's 9, with shots on target favoring the visitors 7-3, demonstrating their offensive superiority despite the deadlocked scoreline.

Expected Goals (xG): The most telling statistic of the match saw Atlanta create 3.1 xG compared to Montréal's 0.7, suggesting the final score flattered the home side considerably.

Corners: Atlanta forced 9 corner kicks to Montréal's 4, with their equalizer ultimately coming from one such set-piece opportunity.

Individual Performances:

• Aleksei Miranchuk was Atlanta's standout performer with 5 shots (3 on target), 4 key passes, and his vital equalizing goal.
• Dante Sealy continued his strong season for Montréal with his 4th goal of the campaign from just 2 shots.
• Thomas Gillier recorded 6 saves on his MLS starting debut for Montréal, including 2 classified as high-difficulty stops.
• Miguel Almirón created 5 chances for Atlanta and completed 94% of his passes in the final third.

Defensive Actions: Despite being under pressure for long periods, Montréal registered 26 clearances to Atlanta's 8, while the tackle count was relatively even (13-12 in favor of Montréal).

Discipline: The match saw 3 yellow cards issued, with 2 going to Montréal players (Brandan Craig, Victor Loturi) and 1 to Atlanta's Tristan Muyumba.

15' - Near Miss: Atlanta United signaled their attacking intent early as Miguel Almirón's curling effort from 20 yards narrowly missed the top corner after a flowing team move, leaving Gillier rooted to the spot.

40' - GOAL (1-0): Against the run of play, CF Montréal broke the deadlock through Dante Sealy. Caden Clark delivered a precise through ball that split Atlanta's center-backs, allowing Sealy to race clear and finish coolly past Brad Guzan for his 4th goal of the campaign.

52' - Tactical Shift: Atlanta coach Ronny Deila adjusted his team's approach, moving to a more aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation with Almirón operating in a central role behind the striker, increasing pressure on Montréal's defensive line.

69' - Double Save: Thomas Gillier produced a stunning double save to maintain Montréal's lead, first denying Saba Lobzhanidze's powerful strike before immediately recovering to block Miranchuk's follow-up attempt from close range.

74' - Substitutions: Both teams made significant changes with Juan Berrocal and Steven Alzate making their Atlanta United debuts, while Montréal introduced fresh legs in midfield to help protect their increasingly fragile lead.

87' - GOAL (1-1): Atlanta United finally breached Montréal's defense when Aleksei Miranchuk rose highest at the back post to head home Almirón's pinpoint corner kick, scoring his 5th MLS goal of the season and bringing the visitors level.

90+3' - Woodwork: Miranchuk nearly completed the comeback in dramatic fashion, curling a sublime effort from the edge of the box that beat Gillier but crashed against the crossbar, leaving the score at 1-1 as the referee blew for full time moments later.

The CF Montréal versus Atlanta United rivalry has developed into one of the more intriguing matchups in the Eastern Conference since Atlanta joined MLS in 2017. This latest 1-1 draw continues a trend of competitive fixtures between these sides.

Historically, Atlanta United has held the upper hand in this MLS confrontation with 9 wins to Montréal's 5, with 4 draws including Saturday's result. At Stade Saputo specifically, the record is more balanced with Montréal claiming 4 victories to Atlanta's 3 in 9 encounters.

The goalscoring pattern between these teams has remained consistent, with matches averaging 2.7 goals per game. Saturday's relatively low-scoring affair represented a departure from their previous meeting this season, which Atlanta won 3-2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in April, with Miranchuk scoring his first MLS goal in that contest.

Individual battles provided fascinating subplots throughout the match. The duel between Montréal's emerging goalkeeper Thomas Gillier and Atlanta's experienced attacking trio of Almirón, Miranchuk, and Lobzhanidze was particularly captivating. Gillier's 6 saves kept Montréal competitive despite Atlanta's superiority.

In midfield, Victor Loturi's energetic performance for Montréal contrasted with the controlled possession game of Atlanta's Bartosz Slisz and Tristan Muyumba. The visitors dominated the central areas with 118 more completed passes than their opponents.

This fixture has historically featured late drama, with 6 of the last 8 meetings seeing goals scored after the 80th minute. Miranchuk's 87th-minute equalizer continued this tradition, suggesting these teams simply cannot produce straightforward, predictable encounters when they meet in MLS competition.

The 1-1 draw at Stade Saputo leaves both CF Montréal and Atlanta United FC in mid-table positions in the Eastern Conference standings as the 2025 MLS season approaches its critical phase.

CF Montréal currently occupies 9th position with 29 points from 24 matches (7W-8D-9L), sitting just below the playoff line. Their inconsistent home form continues to hamper their progress, with just one victory at Stade Saputo all season. The draw against Atlanta represents their third consecutive match without defeat across all competitions, offering some encouragement despite their precarious position. Montréal remains four points behind 7th-placed New York City FC for the final automatic playoff berth, though they do have a game in hand.

Atlanta United FC holds 7th position with 36 points from 25 matches (10W-6D-9L), clinging to the final automatic playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While unbeaten in four matches, their tendency to draw winnable games (three draws in their last five fixtures) has prevented them from climbing higher in the standings. Atlanta sits 7 points behind Orlando City in 4th but maintains a slender 3-point cushion over New York Red Bulls in 8th.

With approximately ten matches remaining in the regular season, both teams face crucial stretches in their calendars. Montréal's upcoming fixtures against D.C. United, New England, and Toronto represent an opportunity to gain ground in the playoff race, while Atlanta's matchups against Colorado Rapids, Toronto FC, and Inter Miami will test their postseason credentials.