Persija Jakarta
- Persija have won four of their last five Liga 1 matches, including an away win at Malut United and a home win over PSM Makassar.
- Persija boss Mauricio Souza has certainly found a good formula for success with a pro-active, possession-based approach that gets his side pressing, playing in a structured way and controlling games.
- They create overloads in wide areas to try to get at the opposition’s defence and when the game is open, they can really get at the opponents.
Borneo FC Samarinda
- Borneo FC Samarinda have also won four of their last five matches, in all competitions, including a 3-1 win over Arema and two away victories.
- Borneo are the antithesis of Persija in terms of playing style, preferring to sit deep, sit back and frustrate their opponents before releasing their front line into the open spaces to play on the counterattack.
- Fábio Lefundes has instilled a pragmatic, disciplined system on Borneo that focuses on wide play and the team’s ability to keep it tight at the back.
- The visitors are tough to break down, but Persija have enough quality in attacking areas to make it a tough night for the Borneo defenders.
Head-to-Head
- The head-to-head record between the clubs in all competitions is level at 11 wins each with three draws.
- Borneo have dominated the recent meetings, winning three and drawing two of the last five.
Key Players
- Maxwell, the club’s top-scorer with a double-digit tally, has been particularly influential in recent wins and has the ability to score at any time.
- Peralta, who also has double-digit goals, and Villa provide the real threats.
- Villa is in red-hot form right now after a brace against Arema and is a good bet to score anytime here.
- Allano is the creative force in the middle for Persija, providing assists and has the vision to unlock defenses on the break or from set pieces.
Betting Insights
- The bookies have Persija as short favourites at 1.63, with the visitors at 4.84 and the draw at 3.56.
- There is little to split the teams in the current standings with Persija on 50 points from 23 games and Borneo on 49 from 22.
- Both sides are in good scoring form and the BTTS at 1.85 provides plenty of value, but both clubs are hard to break down so a double chance on the away side is also considered.
Prediction
- The clash of styles should make for a fascinating encounter in the warm and humid conditions of Jakarta where both coaches will be mindful of the importance of not overplaying in the heat.
- The stats suggest that the draw is the most likely outcome, but we will lean towards Persija to win because of their home advantage and momentum.
