Persebaya's High Pressing Punishes Persija, Shin Tae-yong's Debut Ends in Bitterness

Surabaya – Radovan Pankov's own goal may officially be recorded as the decisive strike that gave Persebaya Surabaya victory over Persija Jakarta. But for Bernardo Tavares, this moment was never an accident.

This goal was born from what has always stood as Persebaya's primary weapon: high intensity pressing.

This strategy forced Persija into a fatal defensive error, handing Bajul Ijo a narrow 1-0 win in the opening Group B fixture of the 2026 President's Cup, held at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya on Sunday (26/7/2026).

The victory puts Persebaya on three points, placing them second in the provisional Group B standings, only behind defending champions Port FC on goal difference.

Conversely, this result saw Persija begin the Shin Tae-yong era without a single point from his first official match in charge of Macan Kemayoran.

Dominant From Kickoff, But Unable To Break The Deadlock

The match exposed two sides entering the tournament at very different levels of readiness.

Persebaya immediately took control of proceedings. The hosts dominated possession, utilised the full width of the pitch, and attempted to unpick Persija's defence through link-up play between Francisco Rivera, Miguel Pereira and Malik Risaldi.

This dominance was visible right from the first half.

Persebaya held most of the ball and created goalscoring opportunities, while Persija opted to defend deep in a compact block while waiting for counter-attack openings.

Even so, disciplined defending from Macan Kemayoran kept the score locked at 0-0 heading into half time. Persebaya led on both possession and total chances created across the opening 45 minutes, but Persija successfully held their defensive structure.

Persija did occasionally threaten on fast transitions; Ernando Ari was forced into a critical save early in the match, before Persebaya reclaimed control of the game tempo shortly afterwards.

Pressing That Delivered The Winning Goal

The deadlock was finally broken in the 64th minute.

Triggered by Persebaya's high pressure deep inside Persija's defensive third, Radovan Pankov played a rushed back pass towards Aqil Savik while under duress. The goalkeeper failed to read the ball, which rolled straight into his own net.

For match statistics, this was officially logged as an own goal.

But Bernardo Tavares interpreted the incident very differently.

"The goal that decided this match started with the high pressing that we executed perfectly. Sometimes luck is required, but luck only comes as a reward for hard work", stated the Portuguese head coach after full time.

This comment made clear Persija's mistake was not a random mishap. Persebaya deliberately apply sustained pressure when opponents attempt to build play out from the back, forcing panicked, poor decisions that ultimately create winning goals.

After taking the lead, Persebaya successfully maintained their game structure and control.

Persija did ramp up their attacking intensity, and even found the net via a header from Denis Kolinger in stoppage time. That goal was ruled out for offside however, confirming Bajul Ijo's victory.

Two Sides, Two Stages Of Preseason

This result also reflects the reality that both teams are still operating in their preseason phase.

Bernardo admitted he was caught off guard by the high physical intensity of the fixture.

He ultimately cancelled several planned player substitutions, as the match proved far more physically demanding than he had anticipated for a preseason tournament.

Despite the win, he also flagged player discipline as a concern, after Persebaya picked up multiple yellow cards including one shown to Yuran Fernandes.

Persebaya defender Risto Mitrevski emphasised this victory was only the first step. He noted that Bajul Ijo had only completed around three weeks of full group training, meaning there remains huge room for improvement.

In the Persija camp, Shin Tae-yong asked supporters not to rush to judgement on his side.

The South Korean coach revealed his squad had not yet been able to run full tactical training sessions.

This extremely short preparation window meant coordination between players had not yet developed, including the communication breakdown between the defence and goalkeeper that led to the own goal.

"We have not completed any tactical training yet, we are still not able to sync our play as a unit. Supporters may feel our performance looks blunt right now, but our conditioning and sharpness will keep improving steadily", Shin Tae-yong said, as quoted by Antara.

The same sentiment was echoed by Rio Fahmi. The Persija defender noted that the tight preparation window meant Macan Kemayoran could not yet produce their best football, though he expressed confidence the side will improve the more time they spend training together.

Group B Competition Is Only Just Heating Up

For Persebaya, this win means far more than just three points. Bajul Ijo showed their team identity is already taking shape, built around aggressive pressing and fast transitions - even if final third finishing still requires improvement.

For Persija meanwhile, this defeat serves as a reminder that Shin Tae-yong will need time to implement his desired football philosophy at the club.

While his official debut ended in defeat, the South Korean coach never framed the President's Cup as an end target. Instead this tournament is being treated purely as part of the team building process ahead of the full competitive season.

Both sides now face stiffer challenges ahead.

Persebaya will face PSMS Medan riding this victory and boosted confidence. Persija meanwhile will immediately go up against defending champions Port FC - the side that also opened their tournament with a convincing win over PSMS one day prior.

Three points may separate sides on the Group B standings.

But after this opening fixture, the clearest gap between these two teams lies in readiness: Persebaya are already playing the football their coach has demanded, while Persija are still laying the very foundations of their new playing style.