Preview: ATM v USM

Few matches on the opening day of Circuit 9 carry more direct significance for the play-off picture than ATM's meeting with USM in Selangor. The two sides go into the weekend locked in a straight fight for sixth place and the last automatic play-off spot, with just five points between them and two matches apiece left to play.

Izmir Firdaus Bin Zainal Ariff's ATM currently occupy sixth on 15 points but arrive out of form, having lost both matches in Circuit 8, a narrow 2-3 defeat to KL City followed by a heavy 9-0 loss at JDT, a match in which their head coach was also shown a card. USM, seventh on 10 points, ended Circuit 8 on a high, Haikal Adam scoring twice in a 4-1 win over Wipers that moved Mohd Yuzmuhaimizee Bin Yaacob's side above PFA Odin Sarawak and to within five points of the sixth-placed spot.

The mathematics are straightforward enough. Win both remaining games and USM would overtake ATM regardless of what their rivals do elsewhere; lose to ATM here and their task becomes far harder, with only one further match, against PFA Odin, to make up the difference. For ATM, victory would put real daylight between themselves and USM heading into the final day of the season, while defeat would leave their play-off place hanging on the outcome of their own trip to Terengganu next.

The sides have met once already this season, ATM winning 5-3 back in Circuit 2, Shamsuri Saleh scoring a hat-trick that day alongside two from Muhammad Bukhari. USM will hope for a very different outcome this time, a repeat of the scoring form they showed against Wipers on Sunday, allied to a first win over ATM this season, setting up a grandstand finish against PFA Odin next weekend with the top six still very much in their own hands.

Neither side can afford to look too far ahead, though both know the permutations well. Terengganu and KL City, fifth and fourth respectively, are already out of USM and ATM's reach on points, which means sixth spot, and with it a play-off place, is the highest either side can still finish this season. PFA Odin Sarawak remain mathematically alive too, but at nine points with the same two games left, both ATM and USM would need to collapse completely to be caught from below.

Elsewhere on Circuit 9's opening day, Terengganu host JDT in a match with real bearing on the race for second, Pahang Rangers travel to bottom club Wipers for their final match of the regular season, and unbeaten leaders Selangor, already assured of finishing top of the table, entertain PFA Odin Sarawak.

The match kicks off at 17.00 on Saturday. You can watch all the action on the MPFLTV channel on YouTube.