SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Persib Bandung failed to make the most of their home advantage as they hosted Arema FC in the third week of the 2024/25 BRI Liga 1. In a tightly contested match at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung Regency, on Sunday (August/25/2024), both teams had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Persib fell behind early with a header from Dalberto Luan Belo in the 41st minute. However, Dimas Drajad responded swiftly, equalizing just before halftime during stoppage time.

In the second half, both Persib and Arema FC created golden opportunities, but neither team was able to convert them into a winning goal. The absence of David da Silva was keenly felt by Persib, who struggled to finish chances in front of goal.

Persib's coach, Bojan Hodak, acknowledged that his team showed improvement compared to their previous match. Quoted from Liga Indonesia Baru, "We are not happy with this result; I think we played better than in the last game, we dominated the play. One thing missing is that we couldn’t score more goals," said Hodak.

The loss of David da Silva was a key factor that Hodak admitted affected the match's outcome. Although Dimas Drajad managed to score, Persib failed to capitalize on several golden opportunities. "We missed David; he is our top scorer. We had three or four good chances but couldn’t convert them into goals," he added. Hodak noted that there is still much work to be done by his team.

Writer: Fariz Ahmad Luthfi