Matchday 26 Preview

TPL

Saturday
BEC Tero v Songkhla Utd
Chonburi v Chainat
Police Utd v Muangthong Utd
Samut Songkhram v Chiang Rai Utd

Sunday
Army P-P Sisaket
Bangkok Utd v TOT
Osotspa Saraburi v Buriram Utd
Pattaya v Suphanburi
Ratchaburi v Bangkok Glass

There are a couple of interesting matches at the bottom end of the table on Matchday 26. The first is the one between Samut Songkhram and Chiang Rai Utd on Saturday. Inside sources tell me that all is not well in the Chiang Rai camp. The Fighting Beetles are currently three points behind fourth bottom Samut Songkhram and another loss could be the beginning of the end.
TOT make the trip down Vipavadee Road to Din Daeng hoping to halt their seven game losing run. A loss to Bangkok United would drop TOT below the Angels and leave them in impending trouble. TOT were hit with bad news earlier in the week that they will have to play the rest of the season without influential defender Lee Jun Ki.

Leaders Muangthong have a local(ish) derby as they travel up the Bang Pa-in - Pakkret Expressway to Thammasart. Muangthong are unbeaten in their last nine league matches and have been involved in some roller coaster games. It's been exciting for the fans to watch, yet I'm sure Rene won't have been satisfied with some of his side's slapstick defending lately.
Buriram have a tough trip on Sunday to Osotspa Saraburi. The M-Power have only lost once in their last 13 games so Buriram won't have it all their own way.

On Saturday, Chonburi have the chance to complete the double over Chainat while BEC Tero v Songkhla has little riding on it. There is a strong possibility that Tero could have their first sub 2,000 attendance of the season.
24 hours later, the Ratchaburi v Bangkok Glass contest could be an entertaining one while Suphanburi will be aiming to end their three match goal drought at Pattaya. The Dolphins might fancy their chances of beating an injury ridden Suphanburi squad.

Division 1

Saturday
Krabi v Khon Kaen
Nakhon Pathom Utd v Saraburi
Nakhon Ratchasima v Sriracha
Phuket v Ayutthaya
Rayong FC v Singh Tarua
TTM v Rayong Utd

Sunday
Air Force v Trat
Bangkok FC v BBCU
PTT Rayong v Siam Navy

It's Singh Tarua's turn to go first this weekend as they travel to Rayong FC. The Wild Horses have only picked up three points from the last 27 available, so Tarua can't afford anything other than a win considering they have the toughest run-in of all the promotion chasing sides.
Also on Saturday, Nakhon Ratchasima need to beat Sriracha after they dropped seven points off the pace last weekend. It's still mathematically possible for the Swatcats to go up and noises from their Japanese coach at the beginning of the week stated that his side won't throw in the towel just yet.

On Sunday, the other three contenders stay at home with winnable fixtures at their disposure. Air Force will be aware that opponents Trat won 2-1 at PTT Rayong earlier this month. Nonetheless, the Airmen appear to be over their sticky patch and are currently five games without a loss.
Siam Navy travel to the PTT Stadium having gone seven matches unbeaten. Granted five of them have been draws, although the Sattahip club finally won their first away contest when they beat Rayong FC last week.
Bangkok FC begin a sequence of five games with BBCU in ninth place being the highest ranked team they'll face. The Bulligans have won their last three league home matches by narrow margins and I can see another tight contest this weekend.

And finally, the TTM Roadshow has left the Bunyajinda Stadium in northern Bangkok and has relocated to the east of the capital at Ramkamhaeng University. I expect they'll stay there until the end of the season before moving onto pastures new yet again. A three figure crowd is expected for the visit of Rayong United.