After Orlando Pirates beat Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership, KickOff analyses the change of approach from the home side in an absorbing match at the Calabash.
Pirates had to do a lot of soul-searching and deep analysis after being hammered 4-1 by Sundowns in the league in February.
Moreover, failure to vanquish the lads in Yellow and Blue in Premiership encounters since January 2020 had become a sore point.
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Pertinently, Jose Riveiro was yet to beat the Tshwane giants in the league, though he got the better of them in cup finals of the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.
The Spaniard had always insisted that to compete with the defending championship, it was important to match them in the possession stakes, to make the game balanced.
However, during the 4-1 thrashing in Tshwane, Bucs dominated possession, yet the scoreline reflected something different.
They had 61 percent of ball possession, a stat not many teams can boast about against a side known for their penchant for dominance in all spheres.
Going into the second round encounter on Sunday, Pirates seemingly did not worry themselves about having too much possession, ending the game with 30 percent ball possession but most importantly winning 2-1.
Last season, Riveiro's charges had close games with Sundowns in the league, notably losing the first-round clash 1-0 with 48% ball possession.
In the return game, spoils were shared at 1-1 in the capital, with only 31% ball possession overall.
Most teams that have succeeded in beating The Brazilians have had lesser ball possession after the game.
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It was clear from Riveiro's approach that ball possession was no longer his concern, after playing with three centre-backs - and five defenders - perhaps his most defensive line-up against the Chloorkop-based outfit.
The last time the Soweto giants beat Masandawana in the league, in a 1-0 victory back in January 2020, they finished with a higher ball possession of 57%.
Sundowns, however, were yet to become the beast and points machine they have become since Pitso Mosimane left.