Steven Danis
Football Tribe Indonesia
Returning home with a 1-0 deficit in the 2018/2019 Piala Indonesia Finals presents a tough task for PSM Makassar, who will need to find the net in front of their own fans to lift the trophy.
However, their first-leg result in Jakarta could be damaging, as they must take on this task without their Dutch Dynamic Duo. Wiljan Pluim suffered an injury which has ruled him out of this crucial game, and Marc Klok will be absent due to yellow card accumulation. Given these circumstances, it could be hard for Juku Eja will need to be at their best to get the desired result, even though they are playing on their own turf at the Mattoanging stadium.
On the other hand, Persija Jakarta must not rest on their advantage. The side have some absences of their own to contend with. Defender Maman Abdurrahman is out injured and looks like Ryuji Utomo who will fill in for him, alongside Tony Sucipto. Meanwhile, Brazilian midfielder Bruno Matos may not be 100% fit to play, which could be a hammer blow to Persija.
The stakes for this clash will be incredibly high, as both of them chase their first-ever domestic cup trophy, as well as a free ticket to the 2020 AFC Cup Group Stage.
Meanwhile, in Liga 1, week 11 will start today. Two big games will kick us off on Friday night, as Arema meet Bhayangkara FC in Kanjuruhan while Persib Bandung will face Bali United in Si Jalak Harupat. Semen Padang, who continue to seek their first win, will meet Persebaya Surabaya on Sunday while the game week will be closed by a clash between Persela Lamongan and Borneo FC on Monday evening.