Semen Padang FC Held Back, Relegation Zone Competition Continues Until the Final Week

PADANG, KOMPAS — Semen Padang FC squandered a golden opportunity to secure their escape from the relegation zone after being held to a 1-1 draw by Persik Kediri in the BRI Liga 1 2024/2025 match at Haji Agus Salim Stadium, Padang, West Sumatra, on Sunday (18/5/2025). The competition in the relegation zone continues into the 34th week or the final week of the competition.

The goal for Persik in the 33rd week of Liga 1 was scored by Jose Valente in the 12th minute. Meanwhile, the equalizing goal from Semen Padang FC was scored by Bruno Gomes in the 62nd minute.

Semen Padang aims for victory in this match. Earning three points will ensure that the team nicknamed Kabau Sirah remains in the top tier of the Indonesian league while also confirming the relegation of competitors, PSS Sleman and Barito Putera, following PSIS Semarang.

However, Semen Padang's struggle to achieve their target did not go smoothly, despite being witnessed by 12,000 supporters. Semen Padang appeared dominant but struggled to break down the opponent's defense. In fact, the home team even conceded a goal first.

"We did everything possible, we scored an equalizer, but we could not score a second goal. The players worked hard, we controlled the game, but this is football," said the Head Coach of Semen Padang FC, Eduardo Almeida, on Sunday.

The result of the match keeps the battle in the relegation zone ongoing until the final week of the competition. One safe position is contested by Semen Padang, PSS, and Barito. This season, the three teams at the bottom of the standings will be relegated to Liga 2, specifically those ranked 16th to 18th.

Semen Padang is currently in 15th place in the temporary league standings, with a total of 33 points from eight wins, nine draws, and 16 losses. This position is vulnerable to being overtaken by PSS and Barito, which are in 16th and 17th place, respectively.

In the final week of the league, Semen Padang visited Arema FC in Malang on May 24, 2025. This concluding match was not easy. In addition to playing at the opponent's home ground, Semen Padang has always struggled against Arema, having secured only one victory in the last five encounters, with the rest resulting in losses.

We did everything possible, we scored the equalizer, but couldn't score the second goal.

Meanwhile, PSS, which has accumulated 31 points, will face Madura United, which is already free from the relegation zone, in the final match. Barito, also with 31 points, will compete against PSIS, which has already been confirmed for relegation to Liga 2.

Victory over Arema is an absolute must for Semen Padang if they want to stay in League 1. A draw is not enough because Kabau Sirah lost head to head to Barito.

"We have to focus on the next game, because the three points are very important, we have to do everything to get them," said Almeida.

As mentioned by Almeida, Semen Padang controlled the match against Persik. Liga 1 recorded that Semen Padang achieved 57 percent possession. The home team created ten opportunities and took 19 shots, six of which were on target.

Meanwhile, Persik recorded only 43 percent ball possession. The visiting team created seven opportunities and made eleven attempts, four of which were on target.

Although Semen Padang dominated, the attacks launched did not yield results. The negligence of the home players allowed Persik to score first through a free kick by Jose Valente from a distance in the 12th minute.

Typically, from a less than ideal free kick distance, players will send a cross into the penalty area. However, Valente noticed that the opposing players were unprepared. Instead of delivering a cross, Valente took a direct shot at the goal. Goalkeeper Arthur Augusto, taken by surprise, was unable to block the powerful shot.

We continue to try, to the left, to the right, we do it patiently, from crossing, from various angles, but the final touch cannot result in a goal.

After falling behind, Semen Padang appeared stubborn. Of the many opportunities, a new goal was created in the 62nd minute through Gomes' kick from inside the penalty box. Gomes freely released a shot after getting a rebound from the goalkeeper's edge.

Semen Padang continued to try to find a second goal. However, Persik was able to suppress it with a low defense tactic (low block). Kabau Sirah seemed to have difficulty breaking down the opponent's defense. The 1-1 result lasted until the end.

According to Almeida, after Valente scored, Persik appeared to adopt a more defensive stance and felt that a draw was sufficient. This was evident from the low defensive tactics implemented by the opponent.

"We continue to try, to the left, to the right, we do it patiently, from crossing, from various angles, but the final touch cannot become a goal," he said.

The head coach of Persik Kediri, Divaldo Alves, stated that after scoring a goal, his team indeed played defensively. This strategy was influenced by the hot weather in Padang, which caused the players to become fatigued.

In the last fifteen minutes of the match, Persik was forced to split its team into two, namely the front sector and the back sector. This was done due to the difficulty in organizing the game as a result of fatigue.

"But our minimum target today is to secure one point, to ensure our position in 12th place," said Alves. Persik has obtained 41 points from ten wins, eleven draws, and twelve losses. This collection of 41 points cannot be surpassed by other teams.