Persita
- Persita have shown more attacking flair and flamboyance this season, but have let themselves down defensively on occasion and could be missing one or two players through suspension on Sunday after their last game.
- Carlos Peña’s side play a possession-first, 4-3-3 system that allows them to control the pace of the game, press high and win the ball back quickly.
- They have a real goal threat in top-scorer Aleksa Andrejić and have the creative spark of Rayco Rodríguez to supply the balls into him.
Persijap
- Mário Lemos will have his side packed into a compact block with a defensive shape that can be very difficult to penetrate, especially on home soil.
- Goalkeeper Sendri Johansah, in particular, has been a big reason for their positive home run through mid-to-late April - when Persijap won three in a row to lift themselves out of danger.
- However, successive defeats to Dewa United and Persija Jakarta have just pushed them back into the thick of the survival battle with only a handful of games to go.
Recent meetings
- Persita won the last meeting 2-1 away in the BRI Super League.
- There is little to suggest these two teams are rivals and only a handful of official games have been played between them since 2014.
Watchlist
- The visitors have the individual quality in Carlos França to score goals and an underrated striker in Rendi Saeful, who contributed goals in April.
- Young forward Hokky Caraka brings direct running and fresh impetus to the hosts attack, while Igor Carreira Rodrigues has delivered key clean sheets.
Markets
The Under 2.5 goals market is tempting at 1.78 for a game that can be disrupted by tropical showers in the middle of the Indonesian May.
Short-term call
- Persita are the most likely winners based on home field advantage and form over the season, but Persijap need the points more and may have a hidden resolve to get the result.
- Persita will look to win and Persijap will be desperate for a point, so we will take 2-1 to the favored home side and 1-0 as our secondary selection for Sunday’s fixture.
