PETALING JAYA: Buriram United is not just a match, but a war that has to be won.
Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) are looking to bounce back in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) by beating Thai giants Buriram United at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri today.
After their 1-0 loss to Shandong Taishan last week, the Southern Tigers want to get three points to ensure their path to the knockout stages is much better.
Buriram are no mincemeats as they are the best club in Thailand, but JDT are no pushovers too, proving their dominance in Malaysian football for more than ten years now.
So, many have billed this tie as the ‘Battle of the South-East Asian Giants’ and whoever wins it will be tagged as the ‘Kings of South-East Asia’.
JDT captain Jordi Amat has billed the tie as a war.
“Battle of the Kings of South-East Asia does have a nice ring to it. It is a big motivation for both sides and JDT are used to this kind of pressure,” said the Indonesian international centreback.
“In the previous game, we felt we deserved more and even in the dressing room we kept talking about it. But against Buriram, the best team in Thailand, it will be a war, 100 per cent.
“We have to be focused and play as one unit. We want to play good football, score goals and entertain our fans by winning the game. We will produce a show for them today.”
If Jordi starts, he is expected to take on one of the most in-form strikers in the Thai League in the form of Guilherme Bissoli, who scored nine goals in 11 league appearances.
He has also scored two goals in the ACLE.
“Buriram and we have seven points, so if we win, we will be in a better spot and have a better chance of qualifying for the round of 16.”
JDT are fifth with seven points, while Buriram also have seven points, but they are ninth due to goal difference.
The other sides with seven points are Chinese clubs Shanghai Shenhua (sixth), Shandong Taishan (seventh) and Shanghai Port (eighth).
