Persebaya Surabaya is wary of PSIM Yogyakarta, which they will face in the first week of the 2025/2026 BRI Super League at Gelora Bung Tomo (GBT) Stadium, Surabaya, Friday (8/8) evening.
Persebaya head coach Eduardo Perez assessed the club, which was successfully promoted to Indonesia's top football competition, as a solid team because it is handled by experienced Dutch coach Jean-Paul van Gastel and is strengthened by quality players.
"They are a good team, have a coach with experience in Europe, and have quality players," Perez said at a press conference at GBT Stadium in Surabaya on Thursday.
However, he continued, the Persebaya coaching team had analyzed the opponent and its players individually in anticipation of being able to win the match.
Furthermore, Perez is optimistic about his players, as they have undergone a long pre-season and are ready to start the competition in front of their home fans.
Although some players are still recovering from minor injuries, Perez said around 95 percent of the squad is ready for the opening match.
Meanwhile, Persebaya's foreign defender, Risto Mitrevski, stated that all the players are in prime condition and are welcoming the match with high motivation.
"In a first match like this, all the players are very motivated, of course," said Mitrevski.
He added that the team would not focus on individual opposing players as they had analyzed PSIM's overall strengths and weaknesses.
"We analyzed their team as a whole, looking at their strengths and weaknesses, but our focus remained on our own playing style," he said.
The 2025/2026 Super League competition will officially open at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya, Friday, before the Persebaya Surabaya vs PSIM Yogyakarta match which starts at 7:00 PM WIB.
Persebaya Surabaya is the fourth-placed team in the final standings of the 2024/2025 Indonesian League 1, while PSIM Yogyakarta is the champion of the 2024/2025 Indonesian League 2.
At the same time, PSM Makassar will also host Persijap Jepara at Gelora BJ Habibie.
However, the first match of the Super League's inaugural week is Borneo FC versus Bhayangkara FC at Segiri Stadium.
