Semen Padang FC coach Dejan Antonic said Arema FC's aggressive defensive performance made it difficult for his team to score, resulting in a 3-0 defeat.
In a press conference at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang Regency, East Java, on Sunday, Dejan said that during the match, Arema FC's defenders were always alert and in the right position to block passing schemes and closely guard the patternless movements of their players.
"The problem in this match was that Arema were much more aggressive at the back. Everyone (Arema players) made contact, fell, bam (threw the ball away), and we lost the ball," said Dejan.
Dejan stated that he had actually changed the team's formation from the original 4-3-3 to 4-4-2, with the hope that having two attackers in the middle would disrupt the concentration of Arema FC's defenders.
However, these efforts still did not produce results because the home team's defense appeared tighter.
