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Johannesburg - Despite conceding three goals in their previous league game, defending champions Orlando Pirates boast the best defence in the Premiership, and coach Roger de Sa insists it will not be an area of concern against Bloemfontein Celtic at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.
Pirates let in three strikes in their 3-2 defeat against Moroka Swallows last week, but have conceded just 12 goals in their league campaign to date - two less than Absa Premiership table toppers Kaizer Chiefs.
De Sa said it was rare for his side to concede so many goals, and pointed out even the best teams had their off days.
“It happens. I remember Man United conceding five or six last year, and Barcelona hitting five past Madrid,” De Sa said on Tuesday.
“These things happen in football, it goes that way.”
Before the loss to their Soweto rivals, Pirates had an unbeaten run of 12 games in the league, and De Sa hoped his side had learned from their mistakes.
“Sometimes you have a long dry run of not scoring and then score five," he said.
"We just have to watch the videos and see our mistakes and correct them.
“When I came to Pirates they had just conceded six goals in two games.”
More important for the Buccaneers would be their form up front, according to the coach.
“We just have to keep scoring, and keep on winning. We went 12 league games unbeaten and then we lost.
“So if we don't lose a match for another 12, I'll be happy.”
Their Free State opponents are a bogey side for Pirates. Celtic beat De Sa's team in both the league and the Telkom Knockout in their last two encounters.
“Celtic are always tricky, a team that we haven't beaten this season.
"We drew with them in the cup and lost to them on penalties, and then lost 1-0 in a league game.
“Both times I was pretty happy with the way we played, it was just that it didn't go our way both times.
“I just hope we can play the same and eliminate the mistakes we made that cost us those games.”
De Sa confirmed he would have the luxury of fielding a near full-strength squad after a successful trip to the Comores for their return leg African Champions League preliminary round match against Djabal FC at the weekend.
The Buccaneers defeated the amateur outfit 4-0, for a 9-0 aggregate victory.
“Everybody came through all right. Once we were 2-0 up we managed to make some substitutions and start thinking ahead.
“It was very hot, we played at three in the afternoon and it was very humid. It must have been 34 degrees.”
“It was still draining, but we made it as easy as it could have been.”
