Facing one Soweto giant, so soon after beating the other, may be any team’s worst nightmare. For Pitso Mosimane and Sundowns, however, playing Orlando Pirates tomorrow after beating other Soweto Giant, Kaizer Chiefs, only a few days ago in the Telkom Cup final, may be a blessing in disguise.
Sundowns host Pirates at Loftus Versfeld in a league clash that may be pivotal to Sundowns’ chances of going top of the log. That all depends on whether Chiefs can beat leaders Bidvest Wits at the Cape Town Stadium tonight.Facing a unit like Pirates allows Mosimane’s team to retain the intensity that saw them pick Chiefs apart in a crushing 3-1 win in Wednesday’s final.
In October’s Soweto Derby, Pirates exposed the Amakhosi chinks that Sundowns brutally exploited with a performance that Mosimane termed as “efficient”.
The stylish Pretoria outfit’s three goals were well-taken but their ruthlessness lay in punishing Chiefs for their midfield profligacy on Wednesday.
Even though Willard Katsande was given an 8-10 rating by Mosimane, Chiefs were not secure on their ball and often allowed Sundowns to dictate the pace of the game. Eric Tinkler and his well-rested troops may have taken notes on how to bottle the Sundowns midfield, which showed a rare aggressive streak that unsettled Komphela’s charges in the final.
What Pirates may need to sort out, is their iffy league form brought about by their unsuccessful Caf Confederations Cup run, where they lost to Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel in the final.They claimed the highly-prized Chiefs scalp but that peak is mixed with unexpected troughs – like home losses to Golden Arrows and Bidvest Wits.
They have only collected three points from their nine matches with two draws giving them 11 points.It leaves Pirates in 12th spot on the log, while Sundowns find themselves second with 23 points from 11 matches.Sundowns trail log-leaders Wits by three points but whether they can reel in Wits, is out of their hands. The season has not quite reached the halfway point but the Brazilians will need to keep Wits in their sights. Wits have not been as clinical as Chiefs but their fighting spirit cannot be underestimated. The likes of Pirates’ Siyabonga Sangweni and Rooi Mahamutsa may be tactically sharp but they do not possess the pace of old.
The same could be said of stand-in Sundowns captain Thabo Nthethe, who conceded two questionable penalties which were saved by Denis Onyango in Wednesday’s final.Wayne Arendse has proved to be key in Sundowns’ defence, while captain Ramahlwe Mphahlele struggles with injury. Maybe it could be defences that decide the outcome.
After all, the teams with the most clean sheets are the ones that often win league titles.
Sundowns out to slay other giant
Sundowns host Pirates at Loftus Versfeld in a league clash that may be pivotal to Sundowns’ chances of going top of the log. That all depends on whether Chiefs can beat leaders Bidvest Wits at the Cape Town Stadium tonight.Facing a unit like Pirates allows Mosimane’s team to retain the intensity that saw them pick Chiefs apart in a crushing 3-1 win in Wednesday’s final.
In October’s Soweto Derby, Pirates exposed the Amakhosi chinks that Sundowns brutally exploited with a performance that Mosimane termed as “efficient”.
The stylish Pretoria outfit’s three goals were well-taken but their ruthlessness lay in punishing Chiefs for their midfield profligacy on Wednesday.
Even though Willard Katsande was given an 8-10 rating by Mosimane, Chiefs were not secure on their ball and often allowed Sundowns to dictate the pace of the game. Eric Tinkler and his well-rested troops may have taken notes on how to bottle the Sundowns midfield, which showed a rare aggressive streak that unsettled Komphela’s charges in the final.
What Pirates may need to sort out, is their iffy league form brought about by their unsuccessful Caf Confederations Cup run, where they lost to Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel in the final.They claimed the highly-prized Chiefs scalp but that peak is mixed with unexpected troughs – like home losses to Golden Arrows and Bidvest Wits.
They have only collected three points from their nine matches with two draws giving them 11 points.It leaves Pirates in 12th spot on the log, while Sundowns find themselves second with 23 points from 11 matches.Sundowns trail log-leaders Wits by three points but whether they can reel in Wits, is out of their hands. The season has not quite reached the halfway point but the Brazilians will need to keep Wits in their sights. Wits have not been as clinical as Chiefs but their fighting spirit cannot be underestimated. The likes of Pirates’ Siyabonga Sangweni and Rooi Mahamutsa may be tactically sharp but they do not possess the pace of old.
The same could be said of stand-in Sundowns captain Thabo Nthethe, who conceded two questionable penalties which were saved by Denis Onyango in Wednesday’s final.Wayne Arendse has proved to be key in Sundowns’ defence, while captain Ramahlwe Mphahlele struggles with injury. Maybe it could be defences that decide the outcome.
After all, the teams with the most clean sheets are the ones that often win league titles.
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