Persija Jakarta overcame going behind in the opening nine minutes to edge out Madura United 2-1 in their 2024 Piala Presiden opener at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium on Sunday.
Madura United took an early lead with a quick goal by Haudi Abdillah in the 9th minute. Former Bali United man Haudi capitalized on the chaos in Persija’s penalty box following a free kick.
Shocked by Madura United’s quick goal, Persija tried to recover. The Macan Kemayoran played aggressively, putting pressure on the Laskar Sapeh Kerrab.
Persija created several chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. Rizky Ridho’s free kick in the 34th minute went just wide of Madura United’s left post.
Carlos Pena’s men’s efforts paid off in the 42nd minute with a header from Riko Simanjuntak, who was left unmarked by the opposing defenders, which ensures that the first half would end in a 1-1 stalemate.
Persija then continued to ramp up their offensive efforts against Madura United’s defense during the second half. Madura United responded with strong resistance against their opponents.
However, despite Madura United’s best efforts in defending, Persija managed to turn the tables around in the 66th minute, courtesy of a goal from Gustavo Almeida.
The match itself was indeed closely contested, with both teams displaying strong attacking play and a tight midfield battle that saw Persija pressing tightly and Madura United countering with quick balls.
In injury time, Yuda Editya received a through ball as Madura United chased for an equalizer, but Persija goalkeeper Andritany Ardiyasa was quick to his feet and secured the ball.
No further goals were scored and Persija managed to secure themselves all three points after a hardly-fought contest, kicking-off their Piala Presiden campaign in the best way possible.