Mamelodi Sundowns are still wounded after their CAF Champions League exit and will meet TS Galaxy on Monday night in the DStv Premiership. Downs are yet to lose in the league and will look to erase their aggregate loss to Esperance in what will be a thriller versus Galaxy at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Coach Rulani Mokwena’s men are in high spirits considering they collected three points against Sekhukhune United last week and this one is also a six-pointer. On the part of the visiting Rockets, Galaxy are looking to solidify their top-five spot.
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The Mbombela-based side has a point to prove and a statement to make after beating Moroka Swallows 2-1 on Friday night at home.
Sundowns vs Galaxy Match Details:
- Date: April 29, 2024
- Time: 7:30 PM SAST
- Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Sundowns: The hosts showed signs of fatigue against Babina Noko despite securing a 2-1 win. The Brazilians will also look to close the match as soon as possible but the coach Mokwena must be worried after misfiring against the Tunisians. Sundowns also need six points to secure their seventh league title and this encounter will be one they cannot afford to lose.
Galaxy: The visitors, under coach Sead Ramovic, are on fire as they are chasing a top-five finish in the league. Having beaten Swallows and lost two of their matches to Stellenbosch and Chippa United, they will look to up their game against Sundowns. The two sides meet for the first this term excluding the Carling Knockout Cup win for the visitors late last year. The rivalry between Mokwena and Ramovic is expected to be in the spotlight.
Downs vs Galaxy Key Battles To Watch:
Samir Nurkovic vs Lucas Ribeiro: The big Serbian hitman has revived his form at Galaxy and will always be a threat to Sundowns defenders. The man who made his mark at Kaizer Chiefs was on target against the Dube Birds. On the other hand, Ribeiro is targeting the top goalscorer award and will look to add more to his goal tally. The Brazilian was key for Sundowns in their lash against Esperance but failed to hit the target.
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Mlungisi Mbunjana vs Rivaldo Coetzee: Coetzee has done well in the past two games to warrant a spot in the starting eleven. His ability to command the heart of the park as well as spreading passes while protecting the back four will be key. Meanwhile, Mbunjana has a tough job ahead of him. The 33-year-old will be expected to stop and neutralise all the attacks launched by Sundowns.
Sundowns vs Galaxy Head to Head:
The two outfits have clashed on seven occasions in the past and Sundowns have five wins compared to one for the visitors. The other encounter ended in a stalemate.
Sundowns vs Galaxy Coaches:
Rulani Mokwena: Mokwena recently had a beef with the Bosnian mentor as they argued about what transpired in their previous Carling Cup clash. While Mokwena is looking for his second league title with Sundowns, there is no doubt he is under scrutiny after failing to win the Champions League.
Sead Ramovic: The astute mentor is still chasing his first trophy in Mzansi and failing to lift the Nedbank Cup means he will now target a decent finish in the league. The visitors are also touted as a team that can finally beat Sundowns this term. The coach is also in the spotlight considering he once called Mokwena a liar.
What The Teams Said:
Mosa Lebusa: “Well, obviously I mean coming from Champions League exit, moods a bit low, but as a team, we had 24 hours, so 24 hours have passed, so we are looking forward to our next game where we have to redeem ourselves. I mean, we have the league to play for and playing against a good side who’s in a very good form. So we were sad, after exiting the Champions League, but right now we picked ourselves up and we have to finish the league.”
“So I think everyone now is fully focused on the upcoming game. Yeah, I think it’s one of the teams that we haven’t played this season. I mean, the only time we played them was in the Carling Black Label, but in the league, we haven’t played them so it’s gonna be interesting. And yeah, they are in a very good form. I mean, if you check the league, they’re slowly climbing up and mathematically they can still catch us.”
Sundowns vs Galaxy Fan Sentiments:
Sundowns fans will still rally behind the team and they believe a win will bring comfort and erase the pain of losing last Friday’s encounter. They are confident of a win at home.
Sundowns vs Galaxy Prediction:
The scale favours Sundowns for this one as they enjoy a good run against Galaxy but the visitors will look to exploit Sundowns’ weaknesses.
Masandawana What’s Next For Sundowns:
After this encounter, Sundowns will shift their focus to a bumper clash against Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Thursday evening. At the same time, the Mbombela-based Galaxy will visit Sekhukhune United away from home on Friday.
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