Persebaya Faces Persija Without Simic, Aji Santoso Keeps High Alert

JAKARTA - Persebaya Surabaya will play an away match in the 5th week of Liga 1 2023/2024 by visiting Persija Jakarta headquarters on the evening of Sunday, July 30. Persebaya bagged a gap to win because the hosts would appear without their flagship striker, Marko Simic.

The Croatian player is confirmed to be absent for the next six weeks after suffering an injury. He even had to fly to Serbia to recover.

This situation is actually a profitable thing for Bajul Ijo, because the absence of the Kemayoran Tiger flagship striker is predicted to open up gaps for them to score points.

Even so, Aji Santoso as Persebaya coach did not want to be crowded. For him, even though the host will be lame without Simic, playing with high alert, his team must still apply it.

Because for Aji Santoso, under the tutelage of Thomas Doll Persija, he developed and began to prioritize the pattern of collective play. Where it means that the Kemayoran Tigers' strength does not only rely on one player.

"I've seen that since Persija was coached by coach Thomas Doll, he puts forward the team's collectivity, which he doesn't rely too much on one or two player figures," said Aji Santoso in response to the benefits his team could achieve in dealing with Persija without Simic.

On the other hand, Aji Santoso admitted that this 5th week's match was also not a good moment for the team. Because in the away match to the Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK) Main Stadium, Bajul Ijo also faced several obstacles with the absence of a number of key players.

"It's the same with Persebaya, (in us) there are several players who can't play. Like Ernando (Ari), he certainly can't appear and go to Jakarta because his condition is not fit," added Aji Santoso during a press conference, Saturday, July 29.

The match between the two teams will be the fourth meeting record for Aji Santoso and Thomas Doll as coaches. Before this the two met twice on the agenda of Liga 1 and one pre-season trial match.

As a result, Thomas Doll was superior because he had brought Persija to win once and two other matches in a draw. That note could be a reference for Aji Santoso to make a result different from the victory in the match later.