Buriram United coach Mark Jackson believes a rare full week of preparation has left his side physically and mentally ready for the decisive second leg of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup final against Selangor FC.
BURIRAM, May 13: Buriram United FC coach Mark Jackson says his side head into the second leg of the 2025/26 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ final against Selangor FC fully refreshed and tactically prepared after enjoying a rare weekend without competitive action.
The defending champions carry a narrow 1-0 advantage into Wednesday’s showdown at Buriram Stadium following last week’s first-leg victory at MBPJ Stadium.
Jackson admitted the unexpected break, made possible after Buriram’s earlier elimination from the Thai League Cup, has provided the team with valuable recovery and preparation time.
“I’ve had to remember how to work a week in advance really, I’d forgot about that,” the Englishman said with a smile.
“That’s been great for us from a recovery point of view, how we can review the game and how we can feed that back to the players.”
“That’s given us a real opportunity to really feel like we’re not only physically and mentally prepared for this game but tactically as well.”
Buriram will also receive a major boost with the return of leading striker Guilherme Bissoli, who missed the first leg through suspension.
The Brazilian forward has scored six goals in this season’s Shopee Cup campaign and is expected to strengthen Buriram’s attacking options significantly.
However, midfielder Goran Čaušić remains unavailable as he serves the second match of his suspension following his red card in the semi-final victory over Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
“We’re always confident of our ability, that’s something we try and put into our players,” said Jackson.
“We’re confident playing at our home ground, but we don’t underestimate this game. If you do that it would be very foolish.”
The former Central Coast Mariners coach said the squad has looked sharp in training and enters the final in high spirits.
“We feel full of energy, full of confidence. The players have shown that particularly in the last two days in training,” he said.
“Bissoli is back in training, so that’s a big boost for us. A player of that quality, a player that can score goals at the level he does.”
Selangor, meanwhile, will be without Jordanian internationals Mohammad Abualnadi and Noor Al-Rawabdeh, who have left to join their national team preparations for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Despite holding the advantage, Jackson expects another tightly contested battle against the Malaysian side.
“We have a good idea what we’re going to face tomorrow,” he said.
“Every team can adapt and work on different things and different tactics so we have to be mindful of that.”
“For us, it’s a real opportunity to play at our home in a final and to play our game.”
Buriram are aiming to successfully defend the regional title, while Selangor continue their pursuit of a first major trophy since 2015.
