On Saturday, Orlando Pirates will host TS Galaxy at Orlando Stadium for their next DStv Premiership assignment.
The Buccaneers return home after two consecutive weekends on the road, as the opposition prepares for its first away game of the month.
Form Guide
It took the men from Mpumalanga six games to allow their first goal of the season, and they will go to Soweto on the heels of their first loss of the year, a close loss to Cape Town City at home on the weekend.
The loss has also extended their barren streak to three games, as they have failed to score since beating Tshwane rivals Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United in consecutive outings.
Three ties have been recorded in Galaxy’s six league contests this year.
The Buccaneers will be wary of their opponent’s penchant for toppling giants and will be eager to avoid another upset after their Sunday loss to Maritzburg United, which was decided by a late penalty.
It was the Soweto Giants’ second loss of the season, their first in their past four DStv Premiership matches, and they are now in fifth place in the rankings, having lost their grasp on the top spot.
Pirates have won three of their seven league matches since the beginning of the season, while losing twice and drawing the same number of times.
Team Updates
Pirates will be missing suspended midfielder Goodman Mosele, whose two yellow cards against Royal AM earned him a two-match suspension.
The Buccaneers will also be looking to welcome back Kabelo Dlamini and Tapelo Xoki, who are both back in training after a brief layoff, while midfielder Vincent Pule has surfaced as a fresh injury concern after being stretchered off early against Maritzburg and is a doubt for Saturday’s match.
For Galaxy, the trip to Orlando Stadium could be yet another outing without Ebrahim Seedat, who has missed the team’s last three games due to an injury.
Key figures
Paseka Mako (Orlando Pirates): With his experience and never-say-die attitude, Mako has been one of the most consistent players everytime he has taken the field. The wing-back not only adds width to the Buccaneers’ offense, but he also performs his defensive duties quietly, making him an asset on both sides of the field.
Lifa Hlongwane (TS Galaxy) is no stranger to scoring against the Buccaneers, as he did so the last time these two teams met, and he will be eager to do it again on Saturday. Hlongwane has already demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion this season, as his goal against Sundowns gave his team an unexpected away victory.
Head-to-Head
Since their initial meeting in January of last year, in which they played to a 1-1 draw, unpredictability has dominated the brief history between these two teams, with a number of unexpected outcomes recorded.
Three of the last four league matches have resulted in a victor, and Galaxy now hold a little advantage after winning two of these matches, both by a score of 1-0.
However, they are yet to find success on their trips to Orlando Stadium, as Bandile Shandu and Collins Makgaka gave Pirates a 2-0 victory in December, which remains the largest margin of victory recorded in this fixture.
How to View the Orlando Pirates vs. TS Galaxy Match
The game is slated to begin at 17:30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL (Channel 202). Tickets for the event may be purchased via Computicket and Ticketmaster locations.
You may also follow the action by monitoring the social media site of the Orlando Pirates for live updates.