Semen Padang's ambitions were blocked by PSM Makassar, who needed a win.

PADANG, KOMPAS — Semen Padang FC will host PSM Makassar in the third week of the BRI Super League 2025-2026 at Haji Agus Salim Stadium, Padang City, West Sumatra, on Friday (22/8/2025) afternoon. The Kabau Sirah team is determined to secure three points while simultaneously extinguishing PSM's chance of achieving their first victory.

Semen Padang has the confidence to face the visiting team. The club, the pride of the locals, secured its first win last week, defeating Dewa United 2-0 in Padang. The victory also made up for a 2-0 defeat to Persib Bandung in the opening match in Bandung.

Meanwhile, PSM Makassar certainly hopes to achieve their first victory of the season despite being in a difficult situation. In the first two matches, PSM only managed to secure two draws against two promoted teams, namely 1-1 when hosting Persijap Jepara and 1-1 when visiting the home of Bhayangkara FC.

The results of the first two matches of the BRI Super League placed Semen Padang in the 11th position of the temporary standings with a total of three points. Below them, PSM is in 13th place with a collection of two points.

In terms of head to head, Semen Padang has only won once against PSM in the last five meetings since October 2, 2017. Meanwhile, three other matches ended in wins for PSM and one match ended in a draw.

In the last season, for example, Semen Padang only achieved a 1-1 result against PSM in Padang on November 21, 2024, and lost 2-0 in Makassar on April 10, 2025. However, a positive aspect for the home team is that in those five matches, PSM has never won in Padang.

Head Coach of Semen Padang FC, Eduardo Almeida, is optimistic about winning the match. "We are preparing to create a good game and, of course, with the main target of securing three points," he said at a press conference before the match in Padang on Thursday.

The match against PSM will not be easy for Semen Padang. Although there has been a change in some players compared to last season, the system and structure of PSM's gameplay have not changed under the management of Head Coach Bernardo Tavares, who has been in charge of the team for the past three years.

Almeida acknowledged that PSM is a tough opponent and difficult for any team to face. The team, nicknamed Juku Eja, has a good game organization, playing aggressively and cohesively.

Nevertheless, Almeida does not want to waste the opportunity to perform at home in front of thousands of supporters. This match serves as the best momentum for Semen Padang to continue their winning streak and climb the league standings.

“Getting two wins (in a row) in home games is very important for us,” said the Portuguese coach.

As in the previous week, Semen Padang will appear with full strength. The host has not lost the key pillars that contributed to their victory against Dewa.

According to Almeida, four players will be absent from the match on Friday due to injuries. They include goalkeeper Teguh Amiruddin, who is suffering from an ACL injury (absent for 6-7 months); forward Ronaldo Kwateh, who is undergoing rehabilitation for an injury; midfielder Ricki Ariansyah, who is injured and undergoing an MRI; and winger Ferdiansyah, who is unwell.

Semen Padang FC midfielder Ripal Wahyudi stated that he and his teammates have prepared well and are optimistic about winning the match. "We will definitely work hard to secure full points," he said.

On the other hand, PSM Makassar is not in its best condition coming to Padang due to undergoing two consecutive away matches. The first two league matches ended in draws, and PSM has also been unable to field all of their new players due to a transfer ban imposed by FIFA.

"We are already in the third week of the league, and we have not been able to utilize all the players. It feels like we are holding a preseason match in the middle of the competition season," said Head Coach of PSM Makassar, Bernardo Tavares.

Tavares stated that it is very difficult to steal points when playing at Semen Padang's home ground. Historically, PSM has never won when playing in Padang, always losing, except for last season which ended in a draw.

The current situation, according to Tavares, is that Semen Padang is also highly motivated. Moreover, last week, Kabau Sirah managed to defeat the strong team Dewa United. Meanwhile, the performance organization of Semen Padang this season has also improved compared to last season after signing good players, both foreign and local.

"For tomorrow, we will strive to present a good match," said the coach from Portugal who led PSM Makassar to victory in the BRI Liga 1 for the 2022/2023 season, which has now been renamed the BRI Super League.