Bojan Hodak's Brilliant Rotation Guides Persib to Defeat Malut United Without Layvin Kurzawa

Persib Bandung once again proved they are not only strong in gameplay but also astute in player rotation. Bojan Hodak's precise rotation led Maung Bandung to a 2-0 victory over Malut United in week 20 of the BRI Super League 2025/2026 at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium, Friday, February 6, 2026, evening WIB.

Despite making several lineup adjustments, Persib dominated from the opening minutes. Ball possession belonged to the home team, with neat and disciplined gameplay tempo. 

Malut United struggled to develop their game due to consistent pressure from Persib's midfield line.

Thom Haye's role remained central even as Hodak rotated other sectors. The Indonesian midfielder anchored the game, directing ball circulation while disrupting the opponent's attacking flow. Malut's attempts often halted before truly threatening Persib's goal.

Persib's advantage came in the 36th minute. The hosts earned a penalty after Ridho Syuhada fouled Robi Darwis in the box. 

VAR confirmed the decision, and Thom Haye successfully executed his duty as executioner. The 1-0 score held until halftime.

Entering the second half, Hodak maintained faith in his team structure. Persib continued controlling the match flow, while Malut United found little room to create opportunities.

The decision to bench Layvin Kurzawa drew attention. The former Paris Saint-Germain player was again unused, remaining on the substitute bench. 

However, Kurzawa's absence did not disrupt Persib's gameplay stability, which remained solid across all lines.

Instead, Hodak found the game-changer from the bench. In the 86th minute, he introduced Saddil Ramdani to replace Thom Haye.

The agile winger made an instant impact by scoring Persib's second goal, seemingly affirming the effectiveness of the Croatian coach's rotation strategy.

The 2-0 score held until full-time. Persib efficiently concluded the match without excessively draining their core players' energy.

This result keeps Persib atop the BRI Super League Standings with 47 points from 20 matches, four points clear of Borneo FC who have played only 19 games. 

Meanwhile, Malut United remains stuck in fourth place with 37 points, failing to capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap.

This Persib victory also avenged Maung Bandung's 0-2 loss to Malut United in their first-round encounter at Kie Raha Stadium.