Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro is expecting a different SuperSport United and Gavin Hunt approach at Orlando Stadium as they fight out for CAF Champions League football.
Pirates are mathematically out of the title race as they trail league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 25 points with eight games to go but with Champions League qualification still on offer, the five-point gap with second-placed SuperSport makes for a potentially riveting encounter on Saturday afternoon at Esgodini.
In their first-round meeting in Tshwane, Matsatsansa started the season with four games without a win under Hunt, and they parked the proverbial bus with 33% possession and no shots on target in a game where Thamsanqa Gabuza missed an open goal – leaving the four-time league winner literally speechless after the game.
However, SuperSport has since become one of the teams to beat and appears one of the favourites to secure CAF inter-club qualification this season.
“The game you mentioned, I think it was played on 21 August, it’s been a long time since then, I think both teams experienced different kinds of evolution,” Riveiro said when asked by iDiski Times if he expects Hunt to come with a defensive mindset.
“It’s true SuperSport were usually the same team, same style, it changed a bit depending on the profiles that they can put on the field, but it’s a big opportunity for both teams, so I don’t expect a conservative SuperSport.
“They have a chance to make a big gap [between us for second place] and if they don’t take it, it will be a long rest of the season – so I think it’s going to be… I don’t want to say pound for pound, but they need to do something more than defend for sure.
“They are a very well-organised team, they know what to do in transitions, they know how to occupy the box very well and they have excellent players in attack.”
Riveiro said he hopes for a fixture that will entertain both sets of fans on the day and acknowledged that Hunt has set up his team to get the best of what he has within his squad as they continue to punch above their weight.
“I hope it will be a nice game with alternatives for both, we will try to reduce their strengths as much as possible but I think it’s a different game [than the first one], we’re both much closer to our [season] objectives so that will play a role in the 90 minutes, we both were trying to find out the style in the first game,” he added.
“SuperSport… Gavin is a very experienced coach and yeah, they know very well what they do and it’s very profitable for them.”
The Buccaneers host Hunt’s men on Saturday afternoon at Orlando Stadium (17h45).
