09 November 2018, by: Thabang Kgeledi

SUNDOWNS TITLE HOPES ON THE LINE

Football blogger Thabang Kgeledi digs into why Sundowns have their backs to the wall when they face Pirates this weekend.

Mamelodi Sundowns host an on form Orlando Pirates on Saturday afternoon at the Loftus Versfeld stadium.

Pitso Mosimane and his men should be careful not to lose this game. A loss will further lower the esteem of an already low in confidence team, and give credibility to Orlando Pirates’ ‘league favourites’ tag.

☠ @Masandawana vs @orlandopirates
? 10 November 2018
? Loftus Versfeld Stadium
? 15:30
? SuperSport 4
? Tickets @TicketProSA ➡️ https://t.co/0vlro5jxYs
⚫⚪?⭐#AbsaPrem #OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/pY1vCOjWwH

— Orlando Pirates FC (@orlandopirates) November 8, 2018

Saturday saw Mamelodi Sundowns bow out of the Telkom Knockout at the hands of Baroka FC; a team with a tenth of their budget.

Yes, football’s beauty is its unpredictability but, the way the Brazilians lost the game was embarrassing, to say the least.

Yes, football’s beauty is its unpredictability but, the way the Brazilians lost the game was embarrassing, to say the least.

Sundowns haven’t had a good start to the season. The PSL champions have been eliminated from the CAF champion’s league, MTN 8, and now the Telkom Knockout.

They go into Saturday’s fixtures against red hot Orlando Pirates needing nothing less than a win to breathe life back into their league campaign.

Mamelodi Sundowns were 3-1 winners against Free State Stars on Wednesday evening. Jeremy Brockie, whose wages cost more than your two-bedroom flat, finally scored his first goal for Sundowns after 378 days.

One year and 13 days later, Jeremy Brockie has found the back of the net!#BrockBack ??⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Hbzq4FVgrA

— Kick Off (@KickOffMagazine) November 7, 2018

Sundowns have played nine games, three less than Pirates, and are only five points behind them. Having games in hand isn’t necessarily better than points on the table but it’s always a good luxury to have.

“We lost this Derby, but Pirates was not dominating the Derby. Yes, Pirates scored two goals, they exploited the situation and details but the performance of my team in the second half was okay,”

Sundowns have won four of their last six games against Pirates.

Orlando Pirates are unbeaten in their last 10 games. They have scored 17 goals in that stretch which is the best goal-scoring record in the league.

Orlando Pirates are a team stacked with talent; they played their game against, at the time, 5th placed Polokwane City with only 40% of their regular starters. They comfortably won the match 2-1.

The last time the two met at Loftus Versfeld Orlando Pirates smashed Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 in front of their home supporters.

Orlando Pirates are favourites to win this game but it isn’t cut and dried. Mamelodi Sundowns may not be in a good space right now but they are talented and they are the champions.

Losing their two best players in Percy Tau and Khama Billiat hasn’t helped their cause, coach Pitso Mosimane has pleaded for patience..

“We have lost important players. Free flowing players in the team. We should be patient. It will come right. Some teams take five years to get it right and haven’t won.

“I mean, if Liverpool can take years to win a trophy, we should be patient. It is not going to come now.”

Coach is right about the supporters being patient but, they cannot afford for Pirates to run away with the league. I suggest he is pragmatic in Saturday’s game. Orlando Pirates are too good a team with too many good players that confident not to punish Sundowns if this is an open game.

BET on all Absa Premiership games pre-match and live in-play throughout the 2018/19 season.