PSIS Already Relegated from League 1, PSS and Barito Putera Threatened to Follow

After the completion of the 32nd week of the BRI Liga 1 Indonesia 2024-2025 season, PSIS Semarang has been confirmed as the first team to be relegated. There are still two spots available for relegation to Liga 2 next season, which five clubs are striving to avoid. Based on recent performances, PSS Sleman and Barito Putera have the highest chances of joining PSIS.

The 1-1 draw that Semen Padang brought home from the Persebaya Surabaya's den, Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday (11/5/2025) evening, helped the "Kabau Sirah" team maintain its 15th position in Liga 1. On the other hand, Semen Padang's collection of one point ensured that PSIS could not escape the relegation zone in the remaining two matches of this season.

PSIS has only collected 25 points from 32 matches. With two games remaining, the "Mahesa Jenar" team can no longer reach the 32 points held by Semen Padang, which is in the last safe position to remain in Liga 1.

Throughout 2025, PSIS only garnered seven points with a record of one win, four draws, and ten losses. Their last victory was achieved when they defeated PSBS Biak, 3-1, on January 26. Unsurprisingly, Liga 2 will once again welcome PSIS in the 2025-2026 season.

They last appeared in the national second-tier competition in the 2017 edition. At that time, they were one of the teams that secured three promotion tickets alongside Persebaya Surabaya and PSMS Medan.

The punishment of degradation seems to be the climax of the issues that have always overshadowed Mahesa Jenar this season. These problems include disputes between supporter groups and management, as well as delays in player salary payments, which have resulted in the departure of several foreign players.

The climax was the 1-2 defeat against PSS on Friday (9/5/2025) at Jatidiri Stadium, Semarang, Central Java, which underscored PSIS's eligibility to be one of the three teams relegated to Liga 2. In the remaining two matches, PSIS will also face two teams that still have interests at stake.

Our target is to win the last two games. (Vitor Tinoco)

Malut United will be the opponent in the 33rd week, still striving to chase the second position, while Barito is the final rival in Liga 1. Barito is attempting to accumulate as many points as possible to avoid following in the footsteps of PSIS.

Two other teams occupying the red zone, namely Barito and PSS, are the strongest candidates to follow in PSIS's footsteps to be relegated to Liga 2 next season. Barito, for instance, has not experienced a victory in their last seven matches.

If they are unable to collect full points in the remaining two matches, namely against PSM Makassar and PSIS, then Barito's designation as a team that has always avoided relegation will come to an end. In fact, Barito had shown a significant improvement in performance in the second half of this season.

They managed to secure five victories in seven matches during the period from January to early March. However, victories have eluded Barito after the Idul Fitri break.

In the midst of these less than ideal conditions, Barito gained important momentum to return to a positive path in the last two matches. This was based on the results of draws in two consecutive matches against the top two teams, Persib Bandung and Dewa United. Both matches ended in a 1-1 draw.

"In those two matches, we demonstrated our ability to fight for survival in Liga 1. We respect both opponents, PSM and PSIS. Our target is to win in the last two matches," said Barito Coach Vitor Tinoco.

PSS, currently ranked 17th with 28 points, is the team most likely to quickly follow PSIS. This could occur if they lose to Persija Jakarta in the 33rd-week match on Saturday (17/5/2025) at Maguwoharjo Stadium, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta.

In fact, even if they secure six points in the last two matches against Persija and Madura United, the "Super Elja" squad may not be free from relegation. The reason is that they must hope that three teams above them, namely Barito (16th place), Semen Padang (16), and Madura (33), fail to earn any points.

PSS is the recipient of a promotion ticket from Liga 2 2018, although their qualification for Liga 1 was marred by a match-fixing case that resulted in a three-point deduction this season.

Gustabo Tocantins, the central striker for PSS, is optimistic about leading his team away from the threat of relegation. Super Elja comes into this situation with two consecutive victories against PSM and PSIS. In those two matches, Tocantins contributed three goals.

"I am happy to maintain the trend of scoring goals, but the most important thing is the team's victory. If we can continue winning, we can survive. We are fighting to get out of the red zone," said Tocantins.

Meanwhile, three other teams that are not yet safe are Persis Solo (ranked 13th with 35 points), Madura (14th, 33 points), and Semen Padang (15th, 32 points). Among these three teams, Persis is the one closest to the safe zone. The "Laskar Sambernyawa" only needs to defeat Dewa at Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Central Java, on Saturday (17/5/2025) to secure a place in Liga 1 2025-2026.

Although having a better chance of avoiding the degradation zone, Persis will fight harder compared to the three other teams that are on the edge of the safe zone. In addition to facing Dewa, Persis will be the last team that Persib encounters in their home match this season. After facing Persis at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium in West Java, Persib will receive medals and the championship trophy.

An important victory of 2-0 against PSBS Biak last Sunday has boosted the morale of the Persis squad. Persis coach Ong Kim Swee hopes that his players will not become complacent.

"We are not safe yet. Our struggle to survive is not over. Therefore, we must strive to perform at our best in the last two matches," said Ong, who is from Malaysia.

Madura has experienced a decline in performance in their last two matches. They were defeated by Semen Padang and also lost 2-3 to Borneo FC, who played with 10 men. This result means that Madura must secure points from their away match against Bali United and conclude their home matches this season with a total of three points against PSS.

Angel Alfredo Vera, the coach of Madura United, is determined to assist his team in making improvements before their away match in Bali. According to him, the Madura squad has a sufficient amount of time to address their shortcomings and perform better against Bali United.

"We must forget these two consecutive defeats. We only look at the remaining matches to continue our hard work in order to achieve maximum points," said Vera.

Semen Padang has a great opportunity to escape the threat of degradation and avoid being labeled as a "yoyo" team. The reason is that Kabau Sirah will host two teams from East Java, Persik Kediri and Arema FC, who have been playing without any targets.

With improved performance during May, Semen Padang will not have difficulty securing at least four points from the last two matches of the 2024-2025 season.

Despite the fierce competition at the bottom of the table, one thing that must be presented is a match that upholds the element of fair play. Don't let the match of teams struggling to escape relegation be shrouded in intrigue over alleged referee bias to help them.