PSIM Yogyakarta coach Jean-Paul van Gastel said his team is enthusiastic about facing Persija in the 2025/2026 Super League at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, Friday (28/11), right on the host's 97th birthday."I'm really looking forward to this match. I think Persija is very mature, very competitive, and they're playing with a squad that's bigger than just 11 players," Van Gastel said at a pre-match press conference at the GBK Stadium on Thursday.
According to Van Gastel, the match against Persija will be a tough one. However, he is confident his players will put up a fight to achieve the best possible result.
"The important thing for us is to be ourselves, play the way we want to play, and continue what we've been doing. If that's the case, we'll see what happens at the end of the game," he said.
The match against Persija isn't the first time PSIM has played away on a home team anniversary. On November 8, PSIM played at Manahan Stadium in Solo in the "Mataram Derby" to mark the 102nd anniversary of host Persis Solo.
