Mamelodi Sundowns have led after the first leg in 26 previous CAF Champions League ties, going on to win 24 of those encounters, a record that underlines their strong position heading into second legs.

That statistic looks encouraging as they prepare for the return leg of this year’s final against Morocco’s AS FAR, carrying a 1-0 lead from Sunday’s first match in Pretoria, although they may feel they could have secured a more comfortable advantage.

This season, Sundowns have also led after the first leg in all three of their previous knockout ties and progressed each time. They overcame Remo Stars of Nigeria (5-1 & 2-0) in the second round, Stade Malien of Mali (3-0 & 0-2), and Tunisia’s Esperance (1-0 & 1-0).

That run already set a club record for the most occasions they have led after the first leg in a single Champions League campaign, a tally they have now extended to four following Sunday’s victory.

However, there have been two previous instances where Sundowns failed to progress despite holding a first-leg advantage in the competition, offering a reminder that nothing is guaranteed ahead of the decisive second leg.

The first of those setbacks came in 2015 against TP Mazembe in the second round. Sundowns carried a 1-0 advantage from the home leg but were beaten 3-1 in the return match in Lubumbashi. They would, however, go on to win the trophy the following year.

The second occasion arrived in 2017, once again against Moroccan opposition, when they faced Wydad Casablanca in the quarter-finals — a result they will be keen not to see as a bad omen.

Sundowns had also won the first leg 1-0 on that occasion but lost by the same scoreline in Casablanca, with Wydad eventually advancing 3-2 on penalties.

Overall, when Sundowns have won the first leg, they have gone on to win the second leg 16 times (62%). They have drawn four (15%) and lost six (23%), although only on two occasions have those results prevented them from progressing.

When the second leg has been played away from home — something that has happened on 13 occasions — Sundowns have managed three wins, three draws and six defeats, a record that offers less encouragement.

More concerning is the fact that they have failed to win any of their last eight away second legs after taking an advantage from the first leg (three draws and five defeats), with their last such victory coming in 2008, a 1-0 win over Curepipe Starlight in Mauritius.

Their record in second legs after winning the first leg in the post-group stage knockout rounds (from the quarter-finals onwards) is also worrying, with six matches played, resulting in one draw and five defeats.

Even more troubling, Sundowns have failed to score in any of those matches, with their only positive result being a goalless draw away to Esperance in last season’s quarter-final.