Arema FC opened their 2024 Piala Presiden campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over hosts Bali United at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium on Sunday, no part thanks to an impressive performance from newly-signed Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Frigeri.
The match was a cagey encounter from the start with both sides creating chances quite early on, but it was Arema who drew first blood in the 11th minute. A Charles Lokolingoy shot was weakly palmed away by Bali United goalkeeper Adilson Maringa, before Salim Tuharea managed to shake off two Bali United defenders on his trail and reached the rebound first, rifling in past Maringa with a finish from close-range.
Stung by the opening goal, Bali United pushed forward in pursuit of an equalizer, with Kenzo Nambu seeing his header going agonizingly close for the hosts. Goalkeeper Frigeri, brought in by Arema from regional rivals Madura United, stood firm at his post to deny any Bali United chances, and combined with the Serdadu Tridatu‘s own poor finishing, meant that Arema retained their slender advantage going into half-time.
The second half saw Bali United try their best to break down the Arema defense, however once again their own profligacy and Frigeri’s excellent form denied the Serdadu Tridatu any way back into the game, much to the frustration of their fans.
With the match seemingly heading towards an Arema victory, Bali United received a golden opportunity to level things up late on in the game after Dendi Santoso had fouled Novri Setiawan within the area in the 85th minute. After a VAR review confirmed the penalty, Everton Nascimento stepped up to equalize for Bali United from the spot, only for Frigeri to correctly guess the incoming shot and deny the former PSM Makassar striker.
Frigeri’s late heroics continued as he denied a Bali United free-kick right at the death, effectively confirming Arema’s three points.