Persib has unfortunately been eliminated from contention for the AFC Champions League 2 quarter-finals. Despite securing a 1-0 victory against Ratchaburi FC at GBLA Stadium on Thursday evening, the win was not enough to overturn the significant deficit from the first leg.
This result brought the aggregate score to 3-1 in favor of Ratchaburi. The Indonesian side faced an uphill battle after suffering a comprehensive 0-3 defeat in the initial encounter held at Ratchaburi’s home ground, making their task in the return leg incredibly challenging.
Persib coach, Bojan Hodak, expressed his belief that his squad delivered their maximum effort during the match. However, he pinpointed a crucial moment that dramatically altered the game’s trajectory: the red card shown to Uilliam Barros at the close of the first half.
“I think for 45 minutes we played quite well. They were defending with 10 players, but we still managed to score,” Hodak told reporters after the match. He further added, “One of our goals was disallowed, and we created several other opportunities. I am convinced that if we had played with a full 11 players, we would have qualified.”
Moving forward, Persib will now redirect their full focus to their domestic Super League campaign. Their next fixture will see Persib take on Persita, scheduled to be played at the familiar GBLA Stadium on Sunday.
Summary
Persib has been eliminated from the AFC Champions League 2 quarter-finals, despite securing a 1-0 victory against Ratchaburi FC in the second leg. This win was insufficient to overturn the 0-3 deficit from the first leg, resulting in a 3-1 aggregate score in favor of Ratchaburi FC.
Coach Bojan Hodak believes his squad gave their maximum effort, but cited the red card to Uilliam Barros as a crucial turning point, stating he was convinced they would have qualified with a full 11 players. Persib will now redirect their full focus to their domestic Super League campaign.