Pathum Thani: A place in the final of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ is on the line when Thai rivals BG Pathum United and Buriram United square off in the second leg of the semi-final at Pathum Thani Stadium on Wednesday.
Buriram were dominant in the first leg with Supachai Chaided, Pansa Hemviboon and Guilherme Bissoli on target for Osmar Loss’ side in a 3-1 win to give them a two-goal advantage ahead of the return meeting.
However, BG Pathum will take confidence from a 2-1 league win away from home against Buriram ten days later that will give them hope of turning the tie around in the Shopee Cup, where Vietnam’s Công An Hà Nội FC await in the final.
For BG Pathum to have any chance of reversing the deficit, they will need their star players, among them Thai icon Chanathip Songkrasin and four-goal Brazilian forward Raniel Santana, to be on top of their game.
BG Pathum concluded their 2024/25 Thai League 1 campaign in late April with a 4-4 draw against Sukhothai FC when they threw away a four-goal lead. Such complacency on Wednesday will surely see them exit the Shopee Cup.
In more positve news, the Rabbits also defeated Nakhon Ratchasima four days earlier to reach the Thai FA Cup semi-final, where they are scheduled to meet Buriram again later this month.
Meanwhile, domestic rivals Buriram clinched their fourth successive Thai League 1 title after finishing a point ahead of nearest challengers Bangkok United.
Loss’ side confirmed the destination of the league title after a 7-0 victory against Nongbua Pitchaya on the final matchday, with Bissoli and Martin Boakye netting braces before the former scored again in a 1-0 win over Chanthaburi FC to help his side reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
Since last being in Shopee Cup action Buriram have also suffered three defeats - against BG Pathum and Ratchaburi FC in the Thai League 1 and getting knocked out in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite after a 3-0 loss to eventual champions Al Ahli Saudi FC after a memorable run to the Finals in Jeddah.
This will be the fifth of six meetings between the two Thai rivals this season, with BG Pathum’s only win being that Thai League 1 success last month.
The stage is now set for a crucial encounter as the Thunder Castle remain on course for a quadruple while the Rabbits plot a comeback in a bid to reach the final.
BG Pathum United vs Buriram United
Venue: Pathum Thani Stadium, Thailand
Kick-off: 7 May, 7:30 PM (Local Time)
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