Hany Mukhtar Sets Up Cristian Espinoza and Shak Mohammed as Nashville SC Beat Atlanta United 2-0

Atlanta United had the crowd, the bigger share of possession and more of the passing on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Nashville SC had Hany Mukhtar and a counterattack tuned like a race car, and that turned out to be the better hand.

Nashville SC beat Atlanta United 2-0, with Mukhtar assisting both goals on fast breaks: Cristian Espinoza in the 61st minute and Shak Mohammed in the first minute of stoppage time. According to Nashville, it was Mohammed's first career MLS goal, and it came in his first MLS appearance for the club.

A Tight, Cagey First Half

For most of the opening 45 minutes, both teams played like they were trying not to lose a bet. Andy Najar forced Lucas Hoyos into a save from a tight angle in the 14th minute, and Atlanta's first shot on target arrived in the 21st, when Cooper Sanchez, an 18-year-old per Atlanta, tested Brian Schwake from outside the box after a nice spell of interplay. The crowd of 36,895 finally had something to cheer.

Nashville started to lean on Atlanta late in the half. Daniel Lovitz headed wide off a corner in the 38th minute and had another header saved in the 39th. Then Mukhtar got clean through on the break in the 41st, only for Hoyos to stand tall in a one-on-one, as Atlanta described it. Mukhtar tried again from distance in the 44th, and Hoyos saved that one too. Tristan Muyumba was booked in first-half stoppage time for a foul on Mukhtar, a sign of how much trouble the Nashville captain was causing.

It was 0-0 at the half, and Hoyos was the main reason.

Espinoza Breaks the Seal

Atlanta came out with some purpose after the break. Matías Galarza forced a save from long range in the 47th minute, and Ajani Fortune had a shot from the center of the box stopped by Schwake in the 57th.

Nashville had to make an unplanned change in the 56th minute, when Alex Muyl replaced the injured Warren Madrigal. Five minutes later, the visitors broke. On a fast break, Mukhtar found Espinoza, who finished from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner for a 1-0 lead. Atlanta's recap called it a precise finish, and it was the kind of goal that changes how a home crowd breathes.

Atlanta pushed for an equalizer. Fafà Picault, Pedro Amador and Saba Lobjanidze came on, and Alexey Miranchuk got through in the 78th minute, only to fire straight at Schwake. Atlanta said its captain took a heavy challenge on the shot.

Nashville Finishes the Job

The 5-Stripes threw numbers forward late, piling up three corners between the 88th and 90th minutes. That is exactly the scenario a counterattacking team dreams about. In the first minute of stoppage time, Nashville broke again, with only one Atlanta defender getting back, per Atlanta. Mukhtar slipped the ball to Mohammed, who had entered in the 84th minute, and Mohammed finished from the left side of the box into the bottom left corner. Game over.

Mohammed nearly had a second in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but Hoyos saved it. The keeper deserved at least that much.

Mukhtar Conducts, Hoyos Resists

Mukhtar was the conductor: two assists, five shots and two of them on target. Nashville said the assists were his third and fourth of the MLS season. Espinoza scored his third MLS goal of the season, per Nashville, which also named him its man of the match. The club said the goal was the 125th regular-season goal contribution of his MLS career, and he leads Nashville with 10 goal contributions across all competitions.

Mohammed's story is the feel-good one. Nashville said the goal was his first career MLS goal, and he got it in his first league appearance for the club. That is a pretty good way to introduce yourself.

Schwake made four saves for the clean sheet, which Nashville said was his fourth MLS shutout of the season. Andy Najar made his 200th career MLS regular-season appearance, per the club.

For Atlanta, Hoyos was outstanding in defeat with six saves. Atlanta said it was his first six-save match in MLS and his first in league play since June 2023 with Newell's Old Boys. Fortune, per Atlanta, made his first MLS start since returning from a foot injury that sidelined him for the back half of the 2025 season.

How Nashville Won Without the Ball

• Possession: Atlanta 55.1 percent, Nashville 44.9 percent.
• Shots on target: Nashville 8, Atlanta 4.
• Total shots: Nashville 17, Atlanta 13.
• Saves: Hoyos 6, Schwake 4.
• Tackles won: Nashville 12 of 18, Atlanta 5 of 12.

Nashville Keeps the View From the Top

Nashville moves to 6-1-1 with 19 points and, per the club, remains in first place in the Eastern Conference. Nashville said it is outscoring opponents 17-4 in MLS play and has lost just once in 14 matches across all competitions. It was also the club's second straight league win, and it capped a strong week: Nashville said Mukhtar scored from an Espinoza assist in a 1-0 win that clinched its Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series on Tuesday. The club also put its all-time record against Atlanta at 6W-4L-5D across MLS and the U.S. Open Cup. Next up is Charlotte FC at GEODIS Park on Saturday, Nashville's first MLS home match since a 5-0 win over Orlando City SC on March 21.

Atlanta drops to 1-1-6 with 4 points. It has lost three straight, to Columbus, Chicago and now Nashville, and has been shut out in the last two. The good news, if there is any, is that the next chance comes quickly: Atlanta hosts the New England Revolution on Wednesday night.

Rope-a-Dope in Atlanta

This was rope-a-dope, Nashville style. Atlanta had more of the ball and completed more passes, and Nashville waited for the openings and landed both counters clean. Nashville is perfectly happy to let you have the ball and then make you pay for it. For a team sitting atop the East, it is a pretty convincing formula.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional match details from Nashville SC (nashvillesc.com) and Atlanta United (atlutd.com).