Persebaya Held to a 0-0 Draw by PSIM in the First Half

SURABAYA, KOMPAS - Persebaya Surabaya is currently playing without goals against PSIM Yogyakarta in the first half of the opening week of the Super League, Friday (8/8/2025) night at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium.

From the moment kickoff at 7:00 PM WIB, the home team immediately put the pressure on. Persebaya played with a fast tempo and fast transitions.

Throughout the first half, the "Green Force" squad posed six threats to the goal of the "Laskar Mataram." Two of the shots were on target. In addition, there were three corner kicks.

Persebaya took to the field with a 4-3-3 formation while maximizing the newly acquired foreign players. They include center-back Risto Mitrevski, midfielder Milos Raickovic, and forward Mihailo Perovic.

Persebaya coach Eduardo Perez experimented by placing midfielder Dejan Tumbas as a left-back. He collaborated to build attacks from the left flank alongside Toni Firmansyah and the attacking winger as well as team captain, Bruno Moreira.

However, PSIM, the visiting team that has just been promoted to the Super League, is trying to keep up. PSIM deployed a similar 4-3-3 formation. Playing simply and effectively, Laskar Mataram had a slightly higher ball possession percentage at 52 percent.

PSIM, coached by Jacobus Van Gastel, attempted to play effectively by utilizing counterattacks. However, this strategy only resulted in two shots that threatened the goal defended by goalkeeper Ernando Eri. One of the shots was on target.

The match between Persebaya and PSIM was also marked by the opening ceremony of the competition. The ceremony was enlivened by performances of traditional music and dance. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, was honored to perform the opening kick.