Every team visiting the Larkin Stadium this year will do so with one clear aim. To end Johor DT’s unbeaten record, which goes back to 2012. The Southern Tigers have consistently been solid at home and it has generated a special form of confidence within them, every single time they play a home game.
This time around, it wouldn’t be different. With a boisterous set of home fans cheering them on, they will be looking to bounce back from their FA Cup defeat to Pahang by putting Sarawak to the sword. And many wouldn’t bet against them doing exactly that.
With an AFC Cup tie on the horizons, expect Bojan Hodak to be ringing the changes in this one, though the priority will certainly be on clinching a victory on this one. Luciano Figueroa remains a doubt, though Bojan did reveal that he could potentially be lined up for the match while Hariss Harun will probably continue to operate from the heart of their midfield, following his excellent form in recent games.
“The defeat against Pahang was definitely bitter, but it wouldn’t be affecting our morale. Instead, it will only motivate us to bounce back and do better in the league,” Bojan told Harian Metro. If anything, that statement clearly depicts their motive ahead of this clash.
As for Sarawak, despite Roberts Alberts claiming that they do not have the squad to thrive in the Super League, they have remained unbeaten in the Super League thus far, although they did suffer a home defeat against Kelantan last week. And even in that match, the Crocs were extremely unlucky to leave the game with absolutely no points, considering that they did dominate significant portions of the game.
But they will travel to Johor DT knowing that the pressure will ironically be on the home team. The Crocs have got nothing to lose while Bojan’s men need a victory in this one to get their league campaign back on track. The partnership between Ryan Griffiths and Billy Mehmet has shown signs of flourishing, but nothing concrete has happened thus far, but if Sarawak are to cause an upset on Saturday night, it will largely depend on that duo.
The home side will be massive favourites for this one, but Sarawak have always had that tendency of being volatile in away games. While the odds are stacked against them, they do have the credentials to pull off an upset tonight.
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