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• Nashville SC v Atlanta United: Long-time coach Smith departs in shock move

  Gary Smith has left Nashville SC, with the team confirming they have parted company with their long-serving head coach.

  Nashville beat Toronto FC on Wednesday, moving up to 10th in the Eastern Conference.

  Yet on Thursday, the team confirmed they had decided to part ways with Smith, who had been in charge for seven seasons.

  Smith won 52 MLS games during his spell in charge, while also leading Nashville to the Leagues Cup final in 2023.

  Nashville face Atlanta United on Saturday, with ex-player and now player development coach Rumba Munthali stepping in as interim head coach.

  No reason was provided for Smith's departure. He has been joined in leaving the club by assistant coach Steve Guppy.

  A Nashville statement read: "Nashville SC extends its gratitude to Smith and Guppy for their dedication and contributions to our team and wishes them and their families all the best in their future endeavours.

  "Under Smith's leadership, Nashville SC emerged as a very organised and hard-to-beat team in both leagues.

  "In the USL Championship, Smith guided the team to a 32-win record over two seasons, including two playoff appearances and a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2019.

  "His transition to MLS with the club was seamless, leading Nashville to four consecutive MLS Cup playoff appearances, a feat only achieved by two other teams in the league's history."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Nashville SC - Hany Mukhtar

  Mukhtar has scored five goals in nine career regular-season matches against Atlanta. Only Luciano Acosta (nine goals in 17 games) has scored more times against the Five Stripes.

  Atlanta United - Thiago Almada

  Almada has scored in all three of his career MLS matches against Nashville. No player has ever scored in four consecutive regular-season meetings versus Nashville, though Daryl Dike did score in four straight for Orlando City, including playoff games.

  MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE WIN

  Despite Smith's departure, Opta's model still predicts a positive outcome for Nashville.

  Atlanta are winless in 11 straight MLS away matches (D5 L6 incl. playoffs) dating back to last September. It is the longest active road winless run in MLS.

  Nashville have won two straight home matches, their first regular-season home winning streak since a run of six straight last April-July. They managed just two wins in 12 home league games between the two streaks (D6 L4).

  Atlanta's 4-0 home win over Nashville last August ended a seven-match winless run for them in the series (D3 L4). Atlanta won their first visit to Nashville, 2-1, in the latter's inaugural match in March 2020, but the Five Stripes are winless in five visits in all competitions since (D2 L3).

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Nashville SC - 46.2%

  Atlanta United - 25.5%

  Draw - 28.3%

• FC Cincinnati v St. Louis City: Noonan looking for improved performance despite Atlanta win

  Despite watching his side beat Atlanta United in midweek, FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan still wants more from his side when they host St. Louis City this weekend.

  Kevin Kelsy's seventh-minute strike was enough to earn Cincinnati a 1-0 win over Atlanta to make it five straight MLS victories.

  Cincinnati currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, but Noonan is still demanding more from his side than Wednesday's performance.

  "I wouldn't say 'negatives' but [there are] things we could have done better, and here we are with the guys keeping a clean sheet and winning the game," Noonan told reporters.

  "They deserve credit and to be proud of the fact that they're still walking off the field with a win tonight."

  St. Louis saw a five-game unbeaten streak end as they lost 2-0 to Los Angeles FC in midweek.

  The defeat leaves St. Louis ninth in the Western Conference, though they are just three points off sixth-placed Austin FC.

  Bradley Carnell is looking to get players back fit and raring to go for the visit to Cincinnati at the weekend, saying: "It's about how we manage over the next couple of days to get a solid, fit line-up for Cincinnati.

  "We don't have much time to sit and dwell, and we have to be brave and positive to head to Cincinnati."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  FC Cincinnati – Kevin Kelsy

  In his first MLS start, Kelsy scored Cincinnati's lone goal on Wednesday. The 19-year-old has scored in consecutive games, making him the first teenager to score multiple MLS goals for Cincinnati, and if he gets the nod from the off again here, he will once more hope to mark it with a goal.

  St. Louis City – Joao Klauss

  Having netted four in his previous four games, Klauss drew a blank against LAFC as St. Louis slumped to defeat. He is clearly a key man in St. Louis' attack, and he will hope to get back among the goals this weekend, and with a win too.

  MATCH PREDICTION – CINCINNATI WIN

  St. Louis beat Cincinnati 5-1 in the lone previous meeting between the sides last April. The four-goal margin is Cincinnati’s largest defeat since the start of last season and equals St. Louis' largest ever margin of victory.

  But St. Louis are winless in eight straight away matches in all competitions (four draws, four defeats). St. Louis have won three of their last 23 on the road after winning the first three away matches in club history.

  Cincinnati have won five straight regular season matches with all five wins coming by one-goal margins, the first team to do so since the Red Bulls in 2012, and though it may be a tight game again this weekend, the hosts will fancy their chances of coming out on the right side of the result and collecting another three points.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Cincinnati: 44.3%

  St. Louis: 28.2%

  Draw: 27.5%

• Almeria 0-2 Barcelona: Fermin at the double in easy Blaugrana win

  Barcelona remained on track to finish second in LaLiga after Fermin Lopez's brace sealed a 2-0 win over bottom side Almeria on Thursday.

  Fermin gave Barca an early lead in the 14th minute when he headed past goalkeeper Luis Maximiano from Hector Fort's accurate cross.

  Despite efforts from Cesar Montes and Lucas Robertone, Almeria were unable to find an equaliser.

  Fermin netted his second from Sergi Roberto's cross to wrap up the win for Barca in the 67th minute.

  Xavi's side are on 79 points, four clear of Catalan rivals Girona, whose hopes of finishing second are fading fast after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Villarreal.

  Real Madrid, who have already clinched the title, continue to pull away from Barca after a 5-0 win over Alaves on Tuesday.

  Data Debrief: Holding the Fort

  Fort provided the assist for Barca's opener, his second assist of the campaign in LaLiga.

  Three players aged under 20 have provided an assist in LaLiga for the Blaugrana this term – Lamine Yamal (four), Fort (two) and Gavi (one). That is not a statistic matched by any other team in Europe's top five leagues.