STATS: Sundowns Set A New PSL Record

Mamelodi Sundowns reclaimed the summit of the DSTV Premiership standings and simultaneously established a new PSL record following their 2-0 triumph over SuperSport United on Wednesday night. The Brazilians re-entered the fray after a hiatus of 63 days since their previous league encounter, during which they participated in the Telkom Knockout, CAF Champions League, MTN 8 final, and African Champions League.

By securing a victory against SuperSport United, the Brazilians secured their ninth consecutive triumph from the commencement of the league season, thereby becoming the only club to accomplish this feat in the PSL era.

Sundowns persist in occupying a league echelon of their own, amassing 27 points in nine league games, with a goal tally of 19 and a mere three goals conceded. The trajectory depicted below illustrates the considerable distance that Sundowns maintain above their peers. This is particularly noteworthy when considering that teams that clinched championships over the past 12 years typically averaged 19 points after the first nine games played.

Sundowns Defence

17 – Gavin Hunt and his SuperSport United team were the first DSTV Premiership team this season to shoot more than 12 shots at the Sundowns goal.

2 – This was only the second time this season that Sundowns conceded more than 11 shots in a league game this season (also Richards Bay in late August).

Lucas Ribiero Costa

4 – the number of shots taken by the Brazilian player
26% – the shot conversion rate (highest of Top 10 shot takers across the DSTV Premiership)

Missed Opportunities On Both Ends

Although SuperSport United took more shots than the visiting team (17 vs. 10), both sides only found the target with 4 and 3 of their attempts on target. Despite these unsuccessful efforts, the visitors proceeded to secure the derby bragging rights and maintain their position atop the league standings.

SuperSport United

Gavin Hunt and his team concluded a busy November with another loss, winning only one game (against TS Galaxy) at the beginning of the month. Despite this challenging stretch, Matsatsantsa still holds 23 points after 13 games, positioning them within a Top 3 finish which would see them qualify for CAF qualification, as per our prediction model.

Sundowns Congested December

The month of December sees the league leaders play no less than 8 games across two competitions – DSTV Premiership and CAF Champions League.

02 December vs TP Mazembe (Away) – CAF Champions League
06 December vs AmaZulu FC (Away) – DSTV Premiership
10 December vs Pyramids (Home) – CAF Champions League
13 December vs Cape Town Spurs (Home) – DSTV Premiership
19 December vs Pyramids (Away) – CAF Champions League
24 December vs Cape Town City FC (Away) – DSTV Premiership
27 December vs Moroka Swallows (Home) – DSTV Premiership
30 December vs Polokwane City (Home) – DSTV Premiership