Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Malang: AFC Cup contender Arema Indonesia climbed up at the fourth position of the Indonesian Premier League table after registering a fighting 2-1 win over Persebaya on Saturday.
Arema have collected 34 points from 21 matches – a massive 12-point behind leaders Semen with the AFC Cup quarter-finalists playing one match less than the rest of the top three sides.
Taufiq Yanuarso stunned the home supporters by scoring a goal as early as in the first minute of the match but Arema hit back wigh goals from Serbian Marko Karsic in the 25th minute followed by Slovakian Roman Chemelo’s winner in the 52nd minute.
Arema finished second behind Kelantan of Malaysia with seven points from three matches in AFC Cup 2012 Group H and went on to beat Hong Kong’s Kitchee 2-0 in the Round of 16, clinching their passage to the last eight.
The Indonesian representatives will host Al Ettifaq, one of the two teams remaining in the tournament who have yet to taste defeat, when the AFC Cup quarter-final begins on September 18, before travelling to Saudi Arabia for the second-leg match a week later.