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Preview: Mamelodi Sundowns v Chippa

Cape Town - Chippa United face a Mamelodi Sundowns side firing on all cylinders in a league encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Brazilians have been battering Premiership opponents of late - they have won 10 of their last 12 league matches to move to within three points of the top of the table, despite having played between three and five matches less than those above them.

The Tshwane side again underlined their title credentials with a 2-0 win over fellow contenders Bidvest Wits on the weekend.

However, Chippa can take some heart, because the last time Sundowns dropped points, it was to the Chilli Boys, following a 1-1 draw at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium just two weeks ago.

In fact, this will be the fourth time the two sides meet this season, Sundowns having been made to sweat for a 1-0 aggregate victory over two legs in the MTN8 semi-finals back in September.

So even though Chippa have claimed just two points (draws against Golden Arrows and Sundowns, and a 2-0 defeat to struggling Bloemfontein Celtic) in their last three outings, Downs coach Pitso Mosimane will be very wary of the Eastern Cape side.

Not always easy to please, Champions League-winning coach Mosimane was however very complimentary to his players after they beat Wits on Saturday.

"We have the experience to play this game. You can't go to Kumasi, we can't go to Dolisie, we can't go to Egypt, we can't go to Accra, we can't go to all those places and you are not having the temperament to play this game.

"This is Champions League material, this is a Champions League (level) game and we played it the way it was supposed to and it was appropriate," he said.

Chilli Boys boss Dan Malesela saw his side enjoying the better of the chances in their last game, a 2-2 draw against Golden Arrows on Friday night, but failing to clinch victory.

His men will know in no uncertain terms that they need to be more purposeful against the African Champions in their next game.

"We get into the middle and then we mess up with the ball, I mean, just fooling around with the ball. It's not okay," said Malesela.

"We should have been more professional, more emphatic. They showed hunger because they wanted to come back into the game.

"We decided 'let's cruise, let's relax' and everything will happen. I mean, it's our own fault that the score is like this."

In ten previous encounters, Chippa have never won - there have been four draws, and six victories for Masandawana.

Chippa striker Rhulani Manzini is still suspended after a red card against Celtic, while Tiyani Mabunda will miss the game for Sundowns after accumulating a fourth yellow card of the season against the Students.

Kick off is at 19:30.

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