The clash of champions is enough to make this a mouth watering match. Sarawak, Premier League Champions come against the Super League Champions, Lions XII.
Both teams met last year with Sarawak defeated due to dubious refereeing in Kuching, while the return leg presented a more dismal result as the Crocs fumbled and lost on the artificial pitch in Jalan Besar.
But excuses are not important when being defeated, as results still matter.
The Crocs are fresh from a 2-1 defeat against Perak, and Lions XII were surprised by Kedah’s ability to hold them 2-2 at their fortress last Tuesday.
Both teams need a win to progress further, and coincidentally, this match is the decider for both teams as a defeat will make it statistically difficult for them to progress further from the group stages of the Malaysia Cup.
A full house is assured at Stadium Negeri with fans already making a beeline for the tickets at selected ticketing outlets, and if last year was a judge, Lions XII fans will also bring truckloads of their supporters to ensure they also roar at the legendary Stadium Negeri.
On paper, Lions XII has it all. They are champions of Malaysia’s most prestigious league, and they are deadly when making attacking runs. Their defense is rock solid, and the midfielders, whom are led by Sharil Ishak seem to be scoring goals despite tight marking. If any man was to be marked in this game, Sharil is the man. The striking force is not one of the best, but they are opportunist, while the goalkeeper of the Lions XII is well covered by towering defenders which are known to have amazing stamina.
Sarawak also has one of the best midfielders in the Malaysian league, but they do have a largely lower scoring rate than their Singaporean counterparts. The team has a clinical finisher in Bobby Gonzales, and has one of the most hardworking defenders in the league. Goalkeeper Sani Anuar is also brilliant at shot stopping and has the ability to assist attacks through his long range goal kicks.
Nonetheless, the Crocs lack game concentration when it matters and this was proven against Perak last Tuesday. In fact, Lions XII won the game in Kuching last season also in similar fashion when the Crocs defense caved due to a slight lack of concentration. Head coach Robert Alberts knows this, and he has been working to correct problem this during the pre-season games.
For the game against Sarawak, motivation will definitely not be a problem for Lions XII. However, playing on a traditional grass field may pose a disadvantage for the visiting Lions whom are more comfortable playing on their Stadium Jalan Besar artificial pitch. Stats show that Lions win less away from home, and hence why we think they would be happy with a draw from Kuching this time around.
Sarawak has one of the biggest support in Malaysian football, and a visit to Kuching is also always not easy for any team, including the Lions. The 28,000 seater stadium is expected to be full to capacity, and the Crocs is expected to play their hearts out to impress their loyal fans. The Crocs are known to be more aggressive at home, and motivation is at its highest level when the the Crocs play at home. Apart from that, the Crocs will be eager to join the race of quarter-final contenders after failing to collect a single point from their opening game last Tuesday.
With that said, we believe the Crocs will have a slight edge to win this one, but we will not be all too surprised when a draw presents itself. The key to this clash will be the referee, as all eyes will be on him to ensure he doesn’t react bias in giving out his verdicts.
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OUR BIASED PREDICTION: SARAWAK 1-0 LIONS XII
P/s: We find it very interesting that the clash of champions still fail to get live coverage. Anyway, follow us on twitter (@sarawakcrocs) for live tweet updates of Sarawak VS Lions XII.
Image by Lions XII FB Page
