Orlando Pirates Reserves head to Soshanguve this Sunday, where they continue their DStv Diski Challenge campaign with a clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at Giant Stadium.
It’s another mammoth encounter featuring the two Gauteng powerhouses, who are currently engaged in what has been a captivating title race.
Form Guide
Three points separate the two sides, who are placed in first and third place in the standings, with the Tshwane Giants looking to make up ground on their table-topping rivals.
Sundowns dropped points at home in their last outing after relinquishing their halftime lead to settle for a share of the spoils in a 2-2 stalemate against Golden Arrows. This was the second such result in their last three matches, where they boast a single win which came away to Cape Town City.
That solitary victory is their only maximum-points haul over the past five game-week period which began with back-to-back defeats, restricting their tally to just five points earned.
Despite their recent form, the summit of the table has remained within reach for the young Brazilians, who now have a testing assignment against a Buccaneers side fresh off bagging the scalp of another Tshwane outfit.
Pirates kicked the second half of the campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory against defending champions SuperSport United on Saturday, maintaining their spot at the top of the standings. It was the perfect response after a rare slip-up, which occured via a narrow defeat on the road to second-placed Stellenbosch.
They remain one of the in-form teams in the league, with four wins collected in their last five games, where they have netted 13 goals and conceded just three.
With things as tight as they are in the race for the title, the Bucs Reserves will be looking for a second consecutive win that could some way in staving off the challenge posed by a determined chasing pack.
Head-to-Head
It has been a little less than a month since the two Gauteng rivals last locked horns, having met in what was a top-of-the-table clash at the beginning of the year.
Pirates Reserves were the victorious side on the day, coming from a goal down to claim an emphatic 4-1 victory as Mohau Nkota bagged a brace, while Mpumelelo Ndaba and Lulama Nxumalo also added their names to the scoresheet.
This was the second of back-to-back victories for the Soweto Giants against their Tshwane counterparts who had had the upper hand in prior encounters.
A victory for the young Buccaneers on Sunday will level matters in terms of recent head-to-head results, which the Brazilians currently edge with four wins to three over the past four seasons.
How to Watch Orlando Pirates Reserves vs Mamelodi Sundowns Reserves
The game kicks off at 14:00 and will be broadcast live on Variety 4. You can also stay in touch with the action by following live updates posted across all Orlando Pirates social media platforms, including the Club’s official mobile app.
Entry at the match venue is free.
