Pegasus kept the upper hand in the recent relegation derby with Yuen Long. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

With nearly one third of the season played by now, R&F have established themselves as new leaders of the Hong Kong Premier League after their spectacular 4-3 victory over Southern District last weekend. Kitchee also catapulted themselves back into the mix, as they reaffirmed their title claims when beating arch-rivals Eastern 3-1 at Mong Kok Stadium. 

Meanwhile, with half of the rounds played in the 1st Division, the second tier of domestic football, the Hong Kong Football Club reasserted themselves on top of the league, followed by Resources Capital just two points behind. Two of the most traditional sides, South China and Citizen, are on third and fourth respectively. 

This weekend will see again an attractive round of Premier League fixtures, that could once again reshuffle the positions of the top six teams.

KITCHEE vs R&F, Premier League, Mong Kok Stadium, Fri Nov 29, 8 pm

In what is undoubtedly the match of the weekend, Kitchee will host leaders R&F at Mong Kok Stadium on Friday night. While the Guangzhou team has been relatively constant this season, Kitchee have struggled to pick up pace, drawing games with the likes of Yuen Long, Tai Po and Rangers. However, despite some people writing off their title ambitions already, Kitchee heroically celebrated a small comeback last weekend, when they defeated rivals Eastern 3-1. The Bluewaves first conceded a goal by former Kitchee starman Lam Ka-wai, but just before half time centre-back Li Ngai-hoi equalized. Later, Fernando and Cheng Chin-lung added their names to the scoresheet as well. This most recent win puts Kitchee in fourth, just three points behind R&F, also with a game in hand compared to second-placed Eastern. This means the upcoming clash between Kitchee and R&F almost looks like the first real title challenge this season. If the Guangzhou team wins, they will keep their probably fiercest rival at bay as six points will be a difficult task to make up for in this short season. However, if Kitchee can bag a win, they would catch up with R&F and the race would start anew.  

Kitchee got back on track with an important 3-1 win over Eastern. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

YUEN LONG vs RANGERS, Premier League, Yuen Long Stadium, Sat Nov 30, 2:30 pm

This Saturday fixture could be described as a derby of the West, as Yuen Long take on Tuen Mun-based Rangers for another fierce relegation battle. The Tangerines are currently still at the bottom of the table but could pass on the red lantern with a win this weekend, as Rangers are only two points ahead. Last Monday , Yuen Long were edged out by Pegasus, as Charles Lokolingoy scored the match winner for the Flying Horsemen in the 89th minute, making it 2-1. This means the Tangerines are still waiting for their first win this season, and they are already under some pressure to seize the opportunity and deliver it against ninth-placed Rangers. 

HAPPY VALLEY vs SOUTHERN, Premier League, Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground, Sun Dec 1, 2:30 pm

With three games scheduled for that day, the busy Sunday will be kicked off at Hammer Hill Road, where Happy Valley lock horns with Southern. The latter are certainly looking for some redemption after their painful 3-4 defeat to R&F last weekend. The Guangzhou side took an early lead through Sean Tse in the 4th minute, but Nikola Komazec equalized for the Aberdeeners before half time. Then things turned wild, with three goals coming within just ten minutes, as Southern took the lead twice. Lau Ho-lam’s goal in the 60th minute was soon after levelled when Igor Sartori, last season’s footballer of the year, scored from the penalty spot. However, Chan Kwong-ho got his team back in front with a worldly volley shot. It looked good for Southern until the 88th minute, when defender Leung Nok-hang equalized from a corner. Just two minutes later 37-year-old Giovane da Silver scored the decisive goal which put R&F right on top of the table. On paper, Southern should expect far less opposition from Happy Valley this time, as the Greens have only managed to score six goals in five games this season, compared to Southern’s twelve goal tally. Meanwhile, Happy Valley could soon find themselves trapped in the relegation drain, especially after Yuen Long and Rangers will have played each other on Saturday.  

Southern was edged out by Southern in last week's 3-4 defeat at Mong Kok Stadium. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

LEE MAN vs TAI PO, Premier League, Sham Shui Po Sports Ground, Sun Dec 1, 2:30 pm

At the very same time, Lee Man will square off with Tai Po in Sham Shui Po. Last Saturday, the Bees beat Happy Valley 2-1, thanks to goals by Frenchman Michael N’dri and Lee Hong-lim. The latest win puts Lee Man in third, making them the biggest overachievers so far this season. However, also the reigning champions, Tai Po, are just one point behind and could leapfrog some of their opponents. The Greens are currently without their star striker Sandro, who picked up an injury and is expected to miss several games. Last weekend, Tai Po edged out Rangers with a 3-2 win, after falling behind twice in the game earlier. In the end, Korean forward Kim Minki scored the match winner, much to the relief of a 530-men-strong home crowd. 

PEGASUS vs EASTERN, Premier League, Hong Kong Stadium, Sun Dec 1, 5:30 pm

Last but not least, Pegasus will host Eastern on Sunday afternoon in Causeway Bay. The game was originally scheduled for 8 pm, but the kickoff has been moved to earlier in the day. Pegasus just created some distance to the bottom after beating Yuen Long 2-1 due to a last-ditch effort. Eastern, on the other hand, have lost their momentum recently, losing 1-3 to rivals Kitchee and giving way to R&F as the new leaders of the Premier League. They will look to reconsolidate their fans this weekend, as any drop of points would turn into a big burden in the title race eventually. At least they had some success in the Sapling Cup last Wednesday, where they beat Lee Man 2-0.