Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes his side weren't able to play their usual game against SuperSport United, who he branded as an 'akward team'.
The first leg of the MTN8 semi-final ended all square at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday, but Mosimane felt his side managed to deal with SuperSport's presence in the air.
Read: Downs clinch away goal in MTN8 semis
"They are an awkward team, they've got gladiators, all the ball is up in the air, which is their strength. We dealt with that," Mosimane told SuperSport TV.
"Their strength is on set-pieces, they don't like inter-play, they take it to the sides and put the ball to the box, nearly like [Bidvest] Wits. They are right to do that, if you have [Thamsanqa] Gabuza, [Bradley] Grobler and [Evans] Rusike look at the height. They play to their strength, which is okay.
"Why not? If I had the same [kind] of players I think maybe I [was going] to play like that. But I've got 'Pitso' [Sphelele Mkhilise], Gaston [Sirino], Themba Zwane, Lebo [Maboe], I think you know the height. I don't have those players, so I must play to our strength also.
"We didn't have time to play because it was all up, credit to them. Scary, I think they could've have scored [towards] the end. But we also missed, let's be honest. I mean the ball [Sibusiso] Vilakazi missed in the first minute, is unbelievable. We score two goals, it's almost finished.
"But we played well in patches, we played a good game of an away game. We couldn't play the way we wanted to play but football is not about getting everything all the time. Sometimes you need to be happy and grateful for what you have now."
The former Bafana Bafana boss went on to let the viewers know that they have a CAF Champions League game against Côte d'Or in Seychelles just after the FIFA break on Friday 13 September, before they take on Matsatsantsa in the second-leg five days thereafter and that is going to take it's toll on his charges.
"We have a [CAF] Champions League game now away, so you must also understand that SuperSport is a well rested team. They don't do nothing, they wait for the match. I mean they have more energy than us, you have to take that into consideration and be grateful of what we have," he said.