The Indonesian side was powered on by a raucous crowd of over 60,000 – the largest ever crowd for an AFC Cup match – and used the energy of the crowd to blitz the visitors in the opening half.

Persija went into the Group H game at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium level on points with their opponents and having lost 3-0 in the first meeting in Johor Baru. However, a stunning hat-trick within the game's opening 19 minutes from Simic ensured the match was effectively over before the midway point of the first half.

Both teams came into the heavyweight AFC Cup clash knowing a win was needed to keep pace with Song Lam Nghe An at the top of Group H and the home side sent the raucous crowd into raptures with an early goal when Simic got on the end of a perfectly weighted cross from Riko Simanjuntak in just the eighth minute.

The Jakmania were still celebrating when Simic doubled the lead just four minutes later with a thunderous header from Rezaldi Hehanusa’s pinpoint free-kick.

The home side were in dream land after 20 minutes when Riko and Ramandi Lestaluhu combined beautifully down the right-hand side to set up Simic for his hat-trick, as the Indonesian side had JDT on the ropes.

The half time introduction of JDT midfielder Safiq Rahim helped the Malaysians stem the tide as they started to enjoy more of the play, creating a few chances of their own, none better than when Darren Lok made space for himself in the box only to see his shot blocked by Maman Abdurrahman.

Simic put the icing on the cake from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Azrif Nasrulhaq took down Riko in the area.

The win moves Persija Jakarta to the top of Group H, ahead of Song Lam Nghe An based on their head-to-head record, ahead of their final group stage match in Singapore against bottom-placed Tampines Rovers.

JDT, meanwhile, must pick themselves up for a home match against Song Lam Nghe An that will determine if they progress to the knockout rounds.

Adding to the excitement is the rivalry that exists between Malaysia and Indonesia, with the two nations involved in some dramatic and thrilling matches over the years.

The same is also true at club level, and while teams from the respective nations don’t meet all that often in continental competition, when they do they tend to be lively affairs.

With JDT earning bragging rights with a 3-0 win over Persija in Johor Bahru in the first meeting, we build-up to the highly anticipated return meeting, by looking back at three previous AFC Cup meetings between Malaysian and Indonesian clubs that have set the pulses racing.

The Group B encounter was only a handful of  international competitive club games to be played on Iraqi soil in more than 20 years after the FIFA Council lifted a ban on the country on March 16, 2018 at its meeting in Bogota, Colombia.

"The world saw that Iraq was at the level and that it had the capacity to host a championship," fan Ali Essam said.

From the early morning, cars lined up at checkpoints set up at the entrances to Karbala, a city about 160 kilometres south of Baghdad.

FIFA lifted its ban on competitive games in three cities in Iraq – Erbil, Basra and Karbala – on March 16, 2018, and as Shaikh Salman said: “This was a decision that the AFC actively supported and welcomes.

“I visited Basra in February for the 4-1 win against Saudi Arabia and I said then that the time had come for the lifting of the ban and I am delighted the FIFA Council agreed. Now we have another considerable milestone with the return of AFC Cup matches to the country in the next few days.”

The AFC Competitions Committee had agreed the postponement of the AFC Cup Group Stage (West) matches involving Al Zawraa Club and Bahrain’s Manama Club scheduled for March 6, 2018, and Iraq’s Air Force Club and Malkiya Club of Bahrain to have been played on March 13, 2018, until after the FIFA decision.

Now both these games can take place next week, while Lebanon’s Al Ahed will travel to Karbala tomorrow (April 10) for the Group B match against Al Zawraa at the Karbala International Stadium. The re-arranged games will take place on April 16 and April 17.

On April 24, Air Force Club will also play Al Suwaiq of Oman, again at the Karbala International Stadium in Karbala.

Shaikh Salman added: “I also commend the AFC Competitions Committee for its vision and wisdom in making a decision to postpone the matches from their original date until after the FIFA Council met. That initiative means that these matches can now go ahead on Iraqi soil.”