PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) huge win over Melaka has certainly boosted their confidence ahead of their AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) fixture against Melbourne City on Tuesday.
The Southern Tigers mauled Melaka 7-1 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Friday, continuing their unbeaten run as they took their 10th win in the Super League.
JDT head coach Xisco Munoz said the team went into the match against Melaka in good spirits after the two-week break, which they hope will keep them going when they head to Melbourne.
“This is a positive result before the ACLE, and the players have performed well after the break,” said Munoz.
“It was a good performance from the team.”
JDT’s Bergson Da Silva, Teto Martin, and Heberty Fernandes each scored two goals for their side on Friday, with Jonathan Silva also scoring at home.
Melaka’s consolation goal came via substitute Abdul Azim Rahim late in the match, but they remain winless this season after seven matches and sit at the bottom of the table.
Melaka head coach K. Devan admitted that expectations weren’t high heading into the match, and JDT’s speed with the ball was hard to keep up with.
“The team had tried their best, but in terms of quality and experience, we are not close to JDT,” he said.
He added that Melaka’s focus this season is to keep their heads above the water and remain in the Super League, and the team are looking to bring in new faces in the January transfer window.
Melaka will play their next match at home when they host Kuala Lumpur on Nov 30.
After their match with Melbourne, JDT will return to the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium to host Kuching in the FA Cup semi-final second leg match on Nov 29. JDT currently lead 2-1 on aggregate.
