Betway Premiership: Five talking points ahead of the Soweto Derby

Can Amakhosi end winless run against Bucs?

The Glamour Boys will be looking to end a five-match losing streak in the league against the Buccaneers while also avenging the first round 3-0 defeat in February.

However, Chiefs did demonstrate that they could beat their rivals when they won the Nedbank Cup final against them late last season and will go into the fixture buoyed by their recent good run of form.

Is this a title decider for Pirates?

AmaBhakaniya currently sit on top of the Betway Premiership standings, ahead by a single point from second placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a game in hand.

A draw or loss for Abdeslam Ouaddou's side would leave a huge dent in their title aspirations should Masandawana win their outstanding fixture, so anything less than a win is required for Pirates to keep their hopes alive.

A game of small margins

Both teams have managed to maintain four clean sheets in their last six league matches, demonstrating resolute defences ahead of the much-awaited derby.

The fixture will likely be won by a narrow margin given the current form of both sides and a mistake could decide the result.

Relebohile Mofokeng's impressive run of form

Mofokeng has been in scintillating form for AmaBhakaniya in the last five league matches, scoring six goals and providing two assists for his side, including a hat-trick against TS Galaxy.

Without a doubt, his performance in the upcoming derby is likely to influence the overall result given his match winning abilities that have kept Bucs in the title challenge.

Will there be radical changes in starting line-ups?

Both teams have seen a number of players return to action and training leading up to the crunch encounter, with the likes of Reeve Frosler and Thabo Cele making a comeback into Chiefs side while Evidence Makgopa and Thalente Mbatha could feature in the derby.

The match is likely to be a tense encounter in midfield, and both sets of coaches could make changes into the starting line-ups in order to gain control of the fixture.