Mamelodi Sundowns and Swallows FC will meet in a top-of-the-table 2020-21 DStv Premiership match at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Saturday.
Sundowns played to a second successive goalless stalemate when they were held 0-0 at home by Bloemfontein Celtic on January 19, though they are unbeaten in 12 league matches this season. The Brazilians have claimed 14 points from six home matches this season, with only Celtic and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila avoiding defeat when visiting the Tshwane club.
"This one [against Celtic] was a little bit of a tough one because I think we got some opportunities where we could have opened the game up, it's not going to be easy when they are sitting deep and not giving us space behind the defence," said Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi.
"But I still believe we were not at our sharpest point, not very sharp and convincing, maybe when we made the substitutions in the second-half and refreshed the team, that's where we started to look [better] with quicker combinations to try and get behind the defence.
"But all in all I still think it was not a performance one would have expected but what can we do? We have to go back and work, hopefully in the big one [against Swallows FC on Saturday] we'll be able to get the desired results."
Swallows, like Sundowns, are still unbeaten this season after drawing 1-1 at home to Chippa United on January 20, with a goal from Ruzaigh Gamildien. The Birds have claimed 12 points from six away matches this season, with their last result on the road a 1-0 win at Baroka FC earlier this month.
"Disappointed, very disappointed in the result [against Chippa]," said Swallows head coach Brandon Truter. "We should've killed things off. We will take the point, remain undefeated, but looking at our next opponent [Sundowns], we would've wanted to go into that match on the back of a win.
"Not long to go before our next game, we have to get ready, prepare ourselves mentally and physically. It is a tough task going into Saturday's game with the opponents having had an extra day's rest, but we look forward to it.
"The boys are fighters and have a great mentality and hopefully we will see fireworks on Saturday," he concluded.
In head-to-head stats, Sundowns and Swallows have met in 60 league matches since 1985. The Brazilians have claimed 31 wins compared to 13 for the Birds, while 16 matches have been drawn. The Tshwane side has won 17 of their 29 home matches against their Soweto counterparts, suffering seven defeats in the process.
The teams last met in the top-flight league in the 2014-15 season, with Sundowns completing a ‘double’ thanks to a 2-0 away win in August 2014 and a 4-1 home victory in February 2015. The Brazilians have won their last four league matches against the Birds.
Sundowns head into this weekend's match in top spot, but level on 26 points with their Gauteng rivals.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Mamelodi Sundowns
Denis Onyango: The Uganda international has kept an incredible nine clean sheets in 11 league matches this season, conceding only twice. Sundowns as a whole have only conceded five goals in the current campaign in what has been an improved defensive display by the defending champions thus far. That noted, he will have to be at his best to keep out a confident Swallows unit who have scored in 11 of their 12 league games this season.
Themba Zwane: The Sundowns attack as a whole has lacked fluidity in their two most recent matches and will be desperate to end their barren run in front of goal. The Bafana Bafana forward has scored eight in 10 matches this season and will be key to reigniting what on paper is a very dangerous Brazilians attacking unit.
Swallows FC
Ruzaigh Gamildien: The Swallows forward has scored seven goals in his last six matches and enters this weekend's round of matches having found the back of the net in back-to-back games. His form in front of goal has been key to the Soweto club's remarkable start to the league campaign.
Tlakusani Mthethwa: The hard-running midfielder, like Gamildien, has started every game of the league season for Swallows thus far. He will have an important role to play in protecting the Birds' back four against a Sundowns attack that has a lot of moving parts. Mthethwa is accustomed to covering every blade of grass and will need to do just that in what will be their toughest test of the season yet.
Source: supersport.com