Betway Premiership: Wounded Orlando Pirates face tricky Polokwane City test

Pirates need to pick themselves up quickly after a heavy 3-0 defeat to FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo in a CAF Champions League Second qualifying round first-leg clash in Lubumbashi on Sunday, which ended an 11-match unbeaten run and dealt a serious blow to their hopes of reaching the group stage of the continental showpiece, with a mountain to climb in the return leg this weekend.

But before turning focus to continental recovery, Pirates must deal with Rise and Shine, who arrive in Soweto level on points and high on confidence.

After a shaky start to the domestic season, Pirates have found their rhythm under Abdeslam Ouaddou, stringing together five straight league wins to climb to third with 15 points from seven matches.

Squad rotation may now be necessary, especially for key players like Evidence Makgopa and Nkosinathi Sibisi, both of whom featured heavily in recent national and club fixtures.

City, meanwhile, sit sixth with 15 points from nine games and have won three of their last four league matches.

However, they've been less convincing on the road, scoring just twice in four away games and managing a single victory.

The last time the two sides met was in the MTN8 quarterfinals, where Pirates emerged 2-0 winners, continuing a dominant run over the Limpopo-based side that has seen them unbeaten in this fixture for more than a decade.

While Pirates have one eye on Saturday's crucial CAF showdown, they know dropping points in the league could stall their surge toward the summit.

With both sides on 15 points and chasing the shadow of Mamelodi Sundowns, Wednesday's clash promises to be fiercely contested and potentially pivotal.