Mamelodi Sundowns are this season debunking the view that homeground advantage is important for success with it being their away form that has seen them climb to the summit of the Premier Soccer League table.
The Brazilians travel to Kaizer Chiefs for a crucial PSL clash on Saturday night‚ and do so having collected almost double the number of points on their travels than in front of their home fans this season.
Another victory would see them create an eight-point gap between themselves and AmaKhosi‚ while defeat would see their opponents move to within two points of Pitso Mosimane’s side at the top of the table.
In nine home matches this campaign‚ Sundowns have managed just four wins to go with five defeats‚ a total of 12 points.
But it is a completely different story away‚ where they have won seven and drawn one of their nine games‚ a haul of 22 points. That single defeat was a surprise 3-2 loss at Polokwane City in their first game of the year.
Polokwane also beat them on their own patch‚ along with Chiefs‚ AmaZulu‚ Cape Town City and Orlando Pirates.
It is a surprise when you consider that the side only lost one game at home in each of the previous two seasons.
The last time they lost more than five games at home in the league was the 2008-09 season when Downs were beaten seven times on their own patch.
Mosimane has already stated this season that in his view the reason for the swinging fortunes is the fact that clubs come to Sundowns to “park the bus”‚ while away they leave themselves a little more open as they push for a home win.
It was a point he reiterated in the prematch press conference this week.
“We are playing away‚ so somebody (Chiefs) must attack‚" Mosimane said.
"We will take it nice and easy in that match. They must also attack us.
“We will be very conservative. Give you (Chiefs) the ball also. You must also come to us.”
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 