Mamelodi Sundowns welcomed Egyptian side Pyramids to the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as both teams battled it out for three valuable points.
In a match where both defenses reigned supreme, Masandawana and Pyramids ended up sharing the spoils in a goalless draw.
A goalless first half
The first half of today's CAF Champions League game started a bit slowly, as both teams were wary of each other. Interestingly, despite being the underdogs, Pyramids dominated in the first 20 minutes of the game; as they registered four total shots, while Masandawana had none. To be fair, all of those shots went on target.
It's important to point out that Mamelodi Sundowns' Abdelmounaim Boutouil picked up an injury before the 20 minute mark, and had to be replaced by Thapelo Morena.
The Sundowns started to find their stride later in the half; as they eventually registered three shots, with one of those going on target. Rhulani Mokwena‘s men had 63 percent of the ball in the first half, while Pyramids had just 37.
Osama Galal sees red
Things didn't get much better in the second half. Although Mamelodi Sundowns looked the better side, they couldn't capitalize on any of their chances.
We would like to point out that the visitors were reduced to 10 men after Osama Galal received his marching orders just before the 90 minute mark. In spite of this, Pyramids managed to hold on for the draw.
The Sundowns registered a total of 10 shots on Sunday. Three of those went on target, two were blocked, and five were off target. On the other hand, Pyramids had eight total shots, and none of those hit the target. They also finished with just 32 percent of the ball.
Where this result leaves Mamelodi Sundowns on the table
It's important to point out that all four teams in Group A were tied with three points after the first two rounds; with each team registering one win and one loss. With that in mind, TP Mazembe and Nouadhibou played out a goalless draw when they clashed yesterday.
After Masandawana's stalemate with the Pyramids, all four teams are still tied with four points after three rounds. However, Mokwena's men are leading the Group A standings due to their +2 goal difference. TP Mazembe are in second place, while Nouadhibou and Pyramids are third and fourth respectively, with a -1 goal difference. There are still three rounds of matches left to play.
This article was most recently revised and updated 9 months ago
