Indonesian football pre-season reaches high gear as heavyweight rivals Persib Bandung and Arema FC face off in the opening group-stage match of the Piala Presiden 2026 (President's Cup) at the Stadion Si Jalak Harupat.

The tournament serves as a high-stakes warm-up for the upcoming 2026–27 Liga 1 season. New Persib manager Igor Tolić takes charge of his first official pre-season tournament fixture, testing team chemistry against a experienced, full-strength Arema FC side.

1. Match Details

Fixture: Persib Bandung vs Arema FC

Tournament: Piala Presiden 2026 — Group Stage

Date & Time: July 25, 2026 — 19:30 WIB (7:30 PM Local) / July 25, 2026 — 8:30 PM SGT / 20:30 BJT

Venue: Stadion Si Jalak Harupat (Bandung, West Java)

2. Team News & Expected Lineups

Persib Bandung: Squad Depth Tested Under Igor Tolić

Persib enters this tournament opener missing a huge contingent of international stars due to Indonesian national team training camp obligations. Seven regular starters—including Thom Haye, Marc Klok, Eliano Reijnders, Saddil Ramdani, and Beckham Putra—are unavailable forselection.

Despite the absences, coach Igor Tolić confirmed Persib will field their strongest available squad. Veteran midfielder Adam Alis and new signing Berguinho will carry creative responsibilities in central midfield, while Andrew Jung is expected to lead the attack up front.

Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fitrah; Putros, Matricardi, Barba, Dewangga; Guaycochea, Alis; Berguinho, Uilliam, Ramdani; Jung.

Arema FC: Full-Strength Challenge

Unlike their hosts, Arema FC arrives in Bandung with a largely intact squad, eager to build early pre-season momentum. Under the leadership of their tactical core, Singo Edan will look to exploit Persib's midfield reshuffle.

Dynamic forward Joel Vinícius will lead the frontline alongside Gabriel Silva, supported by the midfield distribution of Arkhan Fikri and Julian Guevara.

Expected Lineup (3-4-3): Frigeri; Betinho, Yama, Guevara; Farizi, Fikri, Blade, Fahmi; Gustavo, Vinícius, Silva.

3. Tactical Breakdown: Midfield Cohesion vs. Direct Transition

Persib's Midfield Reshuffle: With Klok and Haye absent, Adam Alis and Luciano Guaycochea must quickly establish positional understanding. Persib will rely on wide combinations between Berguinho and overlapping fullbacks to break down Arema's defensive block.

Arema's Counter-Attack Threat: Operating in a 3-4-3 system, Arema FC will look to win second balls through Arkhan Fikri in central midfield before launching rapid transitions out wide to exploit space behind Persib's wing-backs.

4. Head-to-Head & Match Outlook

Recent H2H: Persib Bandung holds the historical edge in this fixture (8 wins to Arema's 2, with 8 draws across all competitions). Their last league encounter in April 2026 ended in a tactical 0-0 draw at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api.

Pre-Season Context: With Persib balancing player rotation and Arema possessing superior squad continuity for this opening match, an open, competitive encounter is expected under the lights in Bandung.

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