ATL Standard

As Atlanta United delves deeper into data analytics, the club is offering insights into specific metrics that may not be immediately apparent but are crucial for evaluating team performance. This analysis is part of a weekly series titled "Staying on Track," presented by MARTA.

In a recent match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Stian Gregersen emerged as the standout player, scoring two headers to help Atlanta United secure a 2-1 victory over Columbus Crew. Despite Gregersen's performance, another player caught the attention of observers: Saba Lobjanidze.

During the post-match press conference, Joe Patrick from 92.9 The Game and Five Stripe Final asked interim head coach Rob Valentino about Lobjanidze's relentless work rate. Valentino confirmed that Lobjanidze's effort has been consistent, even after his participation in the UEFA European Championship with Georgia.

Lobjanidze missed several weeks with Atlanta United due to his international duties but chose not to return home to celebrate Georgia's historic tournament run. Instead, he focused on rejoining his club team in Georgia, USA.

“He’s pretty consistent,” Valentino said. “I don’t see anything different in terms of what he was doing before from the Euros. He’s just excited to be back.”

Lobjanidze had an impactful match against Columbus Crew, assisting both of Gregersen's goals from corner kicks. These assists brought his season total to seven, making him the team's leader in this category. He also became one of six players in club history to achieve 20 goal contributions within their first 30 games for Atlanta United.

Since joining MLS in August 2023, Lobjanidze has ranked among the top wingers in expected goals and goal contributions. His advanced stats for 2024 reflect his high work rate and effectiveness on the field.

“That position in particular requires a lot of work up and down, and he does the work for the team,” Valentino said.

Lobjanidze ranks in the 96th percentile among MLS wingers for touches in the box and co-leads Atlanta United with six goals this season alongside striker Daniel Ríos.

“I think he’s got a different energy to him,” Valentino added. “He’s going to be a father soon at some point, so maybe that’s given him some extra energy while he can get some sleep.”

Fans attending upcoming matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium are encouraged to observe Lobjanidze closely to appreciate his dedication and effort on the pitch.

Atlanta United's Data Scientist & Analyst Arjun Balaraman along with Data Engineer Akshay Easwaran contributed data insights for this report. Video production was handled by Khoury Kennedy, Motion Graphics Producer and Video Editor for Atlanta United.

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