ACLE : JDT Is 200 Per Cent Ready To Face Buriram United Tomorrow - Coach

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) are 200 per cent ready to face Thailand’s Buriram United FC in their AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) 2026/2027 East Zone opener at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium here tomorrow night.

JDT head coach Xisco Munoz said the Southern Tigers are prepared for a tough encounter against the Thai side, with both teams expected to give their all in a match involving two quality clubs.

He said JDT had studied Buriram’s style of play in the Thai League 1 and found that there had been little change despite the club now being under the guidance of a new head coach.

“Although they are now coached by a Portuguese head coach, I do not see much change in their style of play. They remain as strong as before, so we cannot take them lightly,” he told a pre-match press conference here today.

Munoz said JDT must remain highly focused from the first minute and be ready to respond to any tactical adjustments made by Buriram head coach Mario Silva.

The Spaniard also warned his players about the threat posed by Buriram striker Guilherme Bissoli, describing him as a dangerous player capable of punishing even the slightest opportunity.

“It is important to stop their transitions, especially Bissoli, because he is a dangerous player. If you give him a little chance, he has the capacity to score.

“We also need to give our best in the final third and understand when we need to press them. When we have the chance, we need to take it and put the result in a positive way,” he said.

Munoz also dismissed suggestions that JDT’s greater number of competitive matches this season would give them an advantage over Buriram.

“It does not matter if they have played two, three or four games. Tomorrow is a Champions League match and it will demand full energy from both teams in all situations and phases of the game,” he said.

JDT midfielder Eddy Israfilov said he was ready to face Buriram should he be given the opportunity to feature in the highly anticipated encounter.

“Tomorrow we will see what the coach decides, but of course I am ready. If I play, I will give 100 per cent. I know them, of course, so I can only tell you that I am ready for tomorrow. I expect a good day for us,” said Eddy who declined to reveal the team’s tactical plan but said the squad had prepared for every possible scenario.

“Of course, our plan I will not tell you here in front of the camera. But we prepare everything, every scenario. If they attack, if they counter-attack or if they stay in defence, we have prepared very well for these situations,” he said.

Meanwhile, Buriram head coach Mario Silva said both teams would face a difficult challenge in what he described as one of the major club matches in Asia.

“It will be a tough game for both teams. It will be difficult for us, but it will also be difficult for Johor. We didn’t have much time to train, but I am very happy with the team and the players. They are very professional, strong and have great quality,” he said.

The Portugal-born coach, who recently took charge of Buriram, said tomorrow’s match would be his first in the ACLE and only his second match in charge of the Thai club and the priority would be to ensure Buriram delivered a high-level performance while acknowledging JDT’s quality and strengths.

“We know their strong points and weak points, but the most important thing for me is my team. We need to be at a high level if we want to beat Johor. We respect the opponent, but we are focusing more on what we can do and on our own capacity…big stadium with big fans and the atmosphere will be great, and as a former player, I know these are the games every player wants to play in,” he said.

-- BERNAMA