Nakhon Ratchasima vs Bangkok United
The pressure is on as a domestic cup run is needed to distract from Bangkok United’s poor run of results in the league which has seen the title slip further and further out of their reach. A curiously-timed public statement from the board has piled the pressure onto coach Mano Polking, who needs a trophy to show for the great work he has done at that club over the last few years.
His counterpart Milos Joksic is under similar pressure, after a slow slide towards the relegation zone has led to fan outrage on social media. With his transition to playing more open and expansive football starting to backfire, we can expect Milos to revert to type against the typically possession-orientated Bangkok United, looking to soak up pressure and steal a goal on the counter despite playing on their home turf.
These two sides recently drew 2-2 in T1 action and both will probably be dreading the timing of this high-stakes cup tie while desperately looking to turn their fortunes around in the league.
Port FC vs Chiangrai United
Defending champions Chiangrai United were barely in the conversation for the title just over a month ago, but a 4-1 away win at the PAT Stadium was a statement of intent that catapulted them back into the thick of things at the top of the T1 table. Their ensuing run allowed them to claim top spot, only to lose it over the weekend thanks to a 1-1 draw with Ratchaburi.
Port left that game with a lot of issues to fix, and despite the appointment of a new head coach, they are still left with many of the problems Chiangrai were able to exploit in their previous match on June 30th. However, with a trophy and potential champions league football on the line, Port’s players will likely raise their game, making this a difficult match to call.