Chiangmai United vs Buriram United

Basement boys Chiangmai United will kick off their 2022 Thai League 1 action against second-placed Buriram United at the 700th Anniversary Stadium.

Rock-bottom Chiangmai United look like a doomed outfit heading into their first Thai League 1 match of 2022 despite starting the new calendar year with a 3-1 League Cup win at Nakhon Ratchasima United. The ‘White Elephants’ have suffered defeat in six consecutive top-flight outings, drawing a blank in each of the last four in a row. With just six points from 15 games in this Thai League 1 campaign (D3, L11), the hosts are sinking without a trace and will need a miracle in the second half of the season to bridge a 10-point gap on safety. Buriram’s arrival at the 700th Anniversary Stadium comes at the worst possible moment, with their only previous top-flight H2H yielding the visitors’ overwhelming 4-0 victory.

Meanwhile, Buriram United have hit the ground running since losing 2-0 at Chonburi in November, winning four competitive fixtures on the trot, including a brace of wins ‘to nil’ in the Thai League 1. However, the visitors have blown hot and cold away from home this season (W4, L3), which is one of the reasons they trail pacesetters Bangkok United by a point ahead of this clash. Scoring first would significantly improve Buriram’s chances of claiming the three points here, as they’ve ended up winning all four away league matches when opening the scoring this season. But it is worth noting that the vast majority (86%) of their away league goals scored this term in the second half of play (6/7). If you’re after early goals, skipping this fixture could be a wise choice to make, as none of Buriram’s seven away league games have featured a strike inside the first 15 minutes.