BG Pathum United vs Johor Darul Ta’zim

BG Stadium is the venue as BG Pathum United and Johor Darul Ta’zim face each other in an exciting AFC Champions League encounter.

Pathum United’s Champions League start didn’t go according to plan. They suffered a 3-1 defeat at Ulsan Hyundai in their opening Group I fixture despite entering halftime on level terms (1-1). Slow to recover, the ‘Rabbits’ slumped to a 2-0 derby loss to Buriram United in the Thai League 1 the following weekend. However, Thongchai Sukkoki’s men have recovered well, putting domestic minnows Lamphun Warrior to the sword in the build-up to this encounter. Despite a goalless HT score, they ran out 3-0 victors to set themselves up nicely for this must-win clash against a Johor side they defeated 3-0 in their only previous Champions League H2H in 2015. Playing at home should inspire more confidence, with Pathum going unbeaten in all seven competitive home outings since the start of April (W6, D1).

On the other hand, Johor succumbed to a gut-wrenching 1-0 home defeat to Kawasaki Frontale in their curtain-raising Group I match but have gone from strength to strength since. The Malaysian heavyweights have won back-to-back domestic fixtures via a combined score of 8-1 in the aftermath, notably scoring 2+ first-half goals on each occasion. That loss to Kawasaki remains Johor’s only competitive defeat in 2023, while it’s worth noting they’ve racked up 12 wins on 13 road trips since the turn of the calendar year (D1). What’s even more impressive is that each of their seven competitive away wins since the beginning of May has yielded multiple-goal margins, highlighting the level of confidence streaming through their veins.