Bank on Sundowns in ACL clash

May 2023

By Mark Gleeson
The 2022-23 soccer season is well into its final act and TAB soccer pools are loaded with enthralling clashes in major leagues and competitions as some teams fight for trophies and places in continental club competitions, while others are going all out to avoid relegation.

For soccer fans that translates into one exciting pool after another and even more chances to win big, like the carryover Soccer 13 pool this Thursday or the seven pools on Friday and Saturday boosted by cash add-ins.

Two PSL teams are one match from making the finals of Africa’s two club competitions. Tonight Marumo Gallants will try to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in a Confederation Cup semi-final and then on Saturday champions Sundowns need to beat Wydad to reach the African Champions League final.

Sundowns finished last weekend’s semi-final first leg with nine men, but still came away from Morocco with a draw and a moral victory, setting them up as favourites for the return leg.

It’s a much-changed Wydad from last year, when they were crowned African champions, and Sundowns looked the better side at times away from home, although they looked suspect in aerial duels. With a good crowd at Loftus Versfeld come Saturday, Sundowns should have enough ammunition to go through, otherwise it will be yet another golden opportunity missed and talk of a Champions League bogey will gather momentum.

While they are playing, the other DStv Premiership clubs will be completing their season and the race for second is going down to the wire. Orlando Pirates stumbled last weekend, allowing SuperSport United to catch up to them on 51 points, although Pirates still have the advantage on goal difference.

Both clubs play away with Pirates in Durban against AmaZulu and Gavin Hunt’s side must travel up the N1 to Polokwane to take on Sekhukhune United.

SuperSport could well have sewn up second place some time ago, but then squandered points and allowed Pirates to catch up.

The team that finishes second will join Sundowns in African Champions League next season, while the third placed finisher goes into the African Confederation Cup.

In the Premier League, Manchester City are on the brink of another title and could do so without kicking a ball if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Arsenal's defeat to Brighton last Sunday means they can now only reach 87 points, leaving City needing just two points to clinch the title because they have a better goal difference. City are at home to Chelsea on Sunday, a game that could mark the start of some serious celebrations.

At the bottom of the EPL table, Southampton are already confirmed relegated but the other two slots still to be avoided. Two of Nottingham Forest, Everton, Leeds United and Leicester City look likely to go down.