Orlando Pirates midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch is expecting a different Kaizer Chiefs, who will be fighting for their pride when the two teams clash in the Soweto derby on Saturday.

The Buccaneers have dominated the derby in recent times, claiming victory on all three occasions the teams clashed in 2018, and will undoubtedly be carrying this confidence into the game at the FNB Stadium.

The match will, however, be the first time that the two sides do battle since Ernst Middendorp’s arrival back in December 2018.

Since the German returned for a second stint at the Glamour Boys the performances have improved, although results have been inconsistent.

All of these elements add to what is already a fixture filled with passion and history, and despite Pirates’ recent derby record and a largely impressive campaign so far, Lorch is adamant that his side will need to be at their best if they are to overcome their rivals.

‘It’s going to be a different ball game, we expect they will come at us and fight because they won’t want to lose to us again,’ Lorch told KickOff.com.

‘They will want to claim their pride back, but we will be ready for a tough game. We will just play our normal game – and like the coach said, it’s not about playing the occasion.

‘We’re definitely expecting a different approach because we were watching their game against Sundowns, and they came out with a different style of play,’ added the Bafana Bafana winger.

‘We also noted that the players are happy under the new coach, so we just have to be prepared because he is a good coach – you can see there’s structure in the team now.’