Persija Defeats Persib 2-1, Shin Tae-yong: The Championship Title Hunt Is Running More Smoothly

Persija Jakarta kicked off their 2026/27 BRI Super League campaign with an impressive result. The Macan Kemayoran secured a 2-1 victory over Persib Bandung at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK) in Jakarta on Saturday.

This win has further boosted Shin Tae-yong's confidence in Persija's chances to compete for the league title this season.

Prior to beating Persib, Persija had already claimed all three points on the road with a narrow 1-0 away victory over Borneo FC.

These two results carry huge significance for Macan Kemayoran. Both Borneo FC and Persib were sides that Persija failed to defeat during the previous season, with poor head-to-head records against the pair directly hampering Persija's title challenge last year.

Now, Shin Tae-yong believes that overcoming these two key rivals so early in the campaign will serve as valuable momentum heading into the rest of their fixtures.

"Right as the league began, we immediately had an away trip against Borneo - who finished 2nd last season - then this home match against Persib Bandung, the defending champions. By taking maximum points from both these games, we are hoping this will set us up for a smoother run through the rest of the league," STY stated in his post-match press conference.

This victory over Persib also marks a major milestone for Persija: it is the first time the club have beaten their fierce rivals in three years.

Making the result even more special, this win came on home soil in Jakarta. For the past seven years, Macan Kemayoran had not been able to host Persib, nicknamed Maung Bandung, in the capital city.

Persija Claim Dramatic Last Minute Victory

The match was tightly contested from the first whistle. Persija finally broke the deadlock just before the half time break.

Alexander Jeremejeff put the home side ahead in the 41st minute, a goal that kept Persija in the driving seat going into the second half.

Persib refused to concede defeat and ramped up pressure as the game wore on. Their efforts paid off in the 81st minute when Balsa Sekulic found the back of the net to level the score at 1-1.

Just as it looked like the match would end with both sides sharing the points, Persija produced a dramatic twist deep into stoppage time.

Ivan Mamut, the new striker only unveiled by the club two days prior to the fixture, stepped up as the match winner. His 90+5 minute goal sealed the 2-1 victory and all three points for Persija.

The goal sparked wild celebrations across SUGBK. Almost 60,000 members of the Jakmania supporters group were in attendance to witness this dramatic late win over their historic rivals.

STY Satisfied But Demands Improved Finishing

Shin Tae-yong noted that his squad showed clear improvement from their opening league match against Borneo FC.

The South Korean head coach observed that Persija reduced passing errors and created far more goalscoring opportunities during the Persib match.

That said, Shin Tae-yong highlighted one area that still requires urgent work: clinical finishing in the final third.

"The players performed extremely well. Today's display was far better than against Borneo, we made fewer passing mistakes and created much more chances. Even so, our finishing quality still needs to be improved," he commented.

Persija Sit Amongst League Leaders

The three points gained against Persib have strengthened Persija's position in the early 2026/27 BRI Super League standings.

Macan Kemayoran currently sit in 2nd place on six points, only trailing Madura United on goal difference.

Madura United have also enjoyed a perfect start to the season, having beaten PSS Sleman 3-1.

Up next, Persija will return to home ground once again. They are scheduled to host Java United on Saturday, 19 September.

This fixture will give Persija the chance to maintain their positive momentum, while continuing to apply pressure at the top end of the Super League table.