Semen Padang
- Semen Padang have won two and lost three of their last five games, losing 5-1 to Madura United and then beating Persija Jakarta 1-0 at home.
- Semen Padang are 16th in the Indonesian Super League on 10 points from 16 games, 3 points ahead of bottom-placed Persis Solo on 7 and needing a victory at home on Sunday.
- Semen Padang have a slight home advantage in this relegation fight with better form and the home-field advantage of Stadion GOR Haji Agus Salim.
Persis Solo
- Persis Solo are 18th in the Super League with seven points, winless in five league games and badly in need of a boost.
- Milomir Šešlija recently took over as Persis Solo manager, but they remain winless in their last five league matches, including a 5-1 defeat away at Dewa United and a 3-4 home loss to PSM Makassar.
Head-to-Head
- With the two bottom sides meeting, a tight, low-scoring affair is expected to result in a cagey contest that may be settled by an individual piece of quality or set-piece.
- The draw is the most likely outcome with both sides in poor form and their last two Liga 1 meetings having finished 0-0 and 1-1, but home-field advantage gives Semen Padang a slight advantage.
Key Players
Semen’s strike force is led by Cornelius Stewart, who has scored two or three goals in the league, but his direct runs and finishing ability are a key factor in their play.
- Midfielders Pedro Ricardo, Bruno Gomes and Filipe Chaby will create the chances for him and their quality on set-pieces will be important.
- Kodai Tanaka leads the way for Persis with five or six goals and will be the man to stop if they are to have any chance of winning this game on the road.
- Gervane Kastaneer and José Cleylton have also chipped in with some goals, but the latter has missed some games due to discipline issues.
Betting Insights
- Dejan Antonic’s side are tough to break down, which is why the Under 2.5 goals market looks a solid choice at 1.87 for what should be a tense game between two relegation strugglers.
- The 2.29 odds for Semen are a good deal, although the 2.86 for Persis and 3.18 for the tie are also tempting given the situation of both teams.
Prediction
a one-goal Semen victory or a 1-1 draw are the most probable outcomes with the hosts edging it because of home-field advantage.