Johor Darul Ta’zim FC head coach Xisco Muñoz compared Wednesday’s ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ semi-final meeting with Buriram United FC to a title decider as the Malaysia Super League champions prepare to face the trophy holders in Johor.
The regional heavyweights face off in the first leg of their home-and-away encounter at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium with a place in the tournament showpiece at stake and Muñoz is maintaining a single-minded focus on the task against the Thai League 1 champions.
“We are in the final stage of the season with many games, but this is the most important one right now,” said the Spaniard, whose team finished second in Group B to qualify for the last four in their debut Shopee Cup™ campaign.
“For us, tomorrow is like a final. Playing at home with our fans, we must give our best from the first minute with high intensity. The team has been working all season for matches like this, and we are ready. It will be a special night and we want everyone to enjoy it.”
JDT have faced Buriram United on four occasions over the last 18 months with the Malaysian side yet to register a win against the side from northern Thailand.
All previous meetings have come in the AFC Champions League Elite, with the pair drawing 0-0 in the league phase in the 2024/25 season before Buriram United notched up a 1-0 aggregate win over JDT in the last 16 of the competition in the same campaign.
Buriram then went on to win the most recent meeting between the clubs when Mark Jackson led the Thais to a 2-1 victory on home turf.
Muñoz will be hoping to turn the tables on Wednesday as JDT prepare to face their great rivals in front of the enthusiastic Johor support.
“When you play at home, keeping a clean sheet is very important,” he said. “We also need to create chances and play with confidence. The team has been performing well, and we believe we can deliver a strong performance.
“We know Buriram United are a tough opponent, but we must focus on giving our best from the first minute to the last.
“Both teams have shown their quality in recent seasons. It will be a tough game and we must focus on this first leg. We know the challenge, but we are ready and excited for this type of match.”
Jackson, meanwhile, is relishing the challenge facing his side, who have earned the privilege of playing the second leg at home next week having finished on top of Group A.
“Playing away first can be an advantage as we can take the tie back home,” he said. “We respect our opponents and know they are strong, but we have prepared well. We want a strong result and will approach the game positively.
“We respect Johor, but we also have confidence in ourselves. We want to get a result away from home and then finish the job in the second leg.”
JDT and Buriram United have been among the leading scorers in the 2025/26 Shopee Cup, netting 27 goals between them so far, but while that tally suggests an attacking encounter lies ahead, Jackson hinted that might not be the case.
“Both teams have that style, but we’ve also shown adaptability this season,” he said. “We have a clear plan for the game, and if we execute it well, we believe we can get a positive result.”
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