Wednesday’s Thai League results still leave some major aspects of the league to be decided heading into the final round of fixtures, which is set to take place this Sunday, October 7th.
The race for third place between arch-rivals Muangthong United and Port FC remains one of the major aspects of the league that will still be contested on the final weekend. A victory for Champions Buriram United will open up an additional AFC Champions League qualifying spot for one of these teams, adding an extra incentive for these old foes to finish as high on the table as they can.
Currently, both sides sit on 58 points, however Port have both the advantage in head-to-head and goal difference. Despite both sides winning their respective away fixtures, Port’s 2-0 victory at the SCG Stadium stands them in good stead as they ‘only’ lost 3-2 at home to the Kirin. Additionally, the Klongtoei outfit have a 13-goal advantage over their rivals.
Port face an ‘away’ trip to Pattaya United on the final day, in a game which has curiously been moved to the 72nd Anniversary Stadium in the Min Buri district of Bangkok. Muangthong meanwhile will host local rivals Bangkok United, who have already secured their second-place finish for the season and have another AFC Champions League campaign to look forward to.
At the other end of the table, one final relegation spot remains up for grabs going into the final day. Chainat sit one point below Sukhothai in said spot, with Bangkok Glass also in danger of a dramatic final-day relegation. Ratchaburi and Suphanburi recently confirmed their status as top division clubs next season in midweek, leaving the three teams below them to battle it out.
Chainat’s away game against Suphanburi is considered to be a more difficult prospect than Sukhothai’s home game against Air Force Central, who have only won four games over the course of the entire season. Bangkok Glass also host Korat, knowing that only a loss would put them in any danger of dropping into the second division.
The stakes remain high on the final day of the season, with the race to stay in the division and the one to qualify for continental competition remaining key points of drama and intrigue.