Two wins and one stalemate in three meetings speaks of their confidence as Selangor aim to smash League champions Johor Darul Takzim’s (JDT) proud home record at the Larkin Stadium – the home of the Southern Tigers – in Johor Bahru.
The Group D Malaysia Cup biggie at Larkin Stadium on Saturday (Sept 9) has drawn much interest as the two football giants battle for the top spot. JDT are sitting on top with better goal difference with a 13-3 tally against Selangor’s (10-8) with both sides on 10 points each after five matches.
Selangor go into the match with a unbeaten record in their three previous meetings against JDT so far this year – a 2-1 win over the Southern Tigers at the Shah Alam Stadium in a league match on Aug 5 and a 3-2 win in a Malaysia Cup match on July 18.
Selangor’s previous trip to the Larkin Stadium in February ended with both teams sharing points after a scoreless draw in a league encounter.
JDT have established themselves as the most successful team in Malaysian football. With four successive Super League titles in the bag since 2014, the Southern Tigers are gunning for the elusive Malaysia Cup although they have won the FA Cup once and the Charity Shield twice since the team’s birth in 2013.
The Johor outfit also rode their themselves into the history books as the first club team from Malaysia to win the second-tier AFC Cup in 2015 – defeating FC Istiklol from Tajikistan 1-0 in the final in Dushanbe.
The biggie at the Larkin Stadium will also decide who will meet who in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals from Group C – either defending champions Kedah or newcomers Melaka United.
Kedah face Kelantan at home while Melaka will be away to UiTM FC at Shah Alam. Kelantan have a mathematical chance of a place in the quarter-finals if they beat Kedah by a big margin. Melaka need only a draw against UiTMC to advance.
There is also a keen battle in battle in Group A with Pahang, T-Team and Negri Sembilan jostling for a quarter-final berth and join leaders Perak State Economic Development Corporation (PKNP) who are already through with 10 points.
Pahang with six points face third placed T-Team (5 points) in Kuantan while N.Sembilan will be at home in Paroi to PKNP. Like T-Team, N. Sembilan also have five points.
In Group B the two teams that have made the last eight are Perak with 13 points and Felda United (11 points). Both clash in Ipoh to decide the top two spots in the group.
The final round Malaysia Cup matches on Saturday will be keen after the month-long break for the SEA Games. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
