Johor Darul Ta’zim once again underlined their champion mentality after defeating Kuching City FC 2-1, despite being reduced to 10 men, to maintain their 100% winning record in the Liga Super Malaysia 2025/26 at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri.
Both teams entered the contest with clear objectives — Kuching City, nicknamed The Cats, were desperate for three points to stay second, while JDT were determined to protect their flawless home record.
JDT welcomed back Stuart Wilkin and Syamer Kutty Abba, both named on the bench, while former Penang FC defender Arif Farhan Md Isa was among the substitutes for the visitors.
The opening half saw JDT pressing aggressively through prolific forwards Bergson da Silva and Jairo da Silva. Bergson thought he had given the hosts an early lead in the 10th minute, only for referee Razlan Joffri Ali — backed by VAR — to rule it out due to a foul by Jairo on James Okwuosa in the build-up.
Against the run of play, Kuching City stunned the home crowd in the 43rd minute when Scott Woods finished calmly from Ramadhan Saifullah Usman’s assist. Initially flagged for offside, the goal was eventually allowed after a VAR review, sending the visitors into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
JDT responded decisively after halftime, with head coach Xisco Muñoz introducing Manuel Hidalgo and Yago da Silva to inject urgency.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 56th minute when JDT captain Natxo Insa was shown a straight red card after VAR detected a headbutt on Woods, leaving the champions with 10 men.
Just two minutes later, Nacho Méndez fired home the equaliser, igniting a fierce comeback. Momentum stayed with the hosts, and in the 64th minute, Bergson produced a moment of quality to score his 14th league goal, completing the turnaround in style.
To protect their slender lead, Muñoz brought on Stuart Wilkin in the 70th minute, and the Harimau Malaya midfielder played a key role in controlling the tempo as JDT held firm until the final whistle.
The result keeps Harimau Selatan firmly at the summit of the league standings with 45 points, while Kuching City slipped to fourth place on 28 points, opening the door for Selangor FC to challenge for second spot.
Up next, JDT will turn their focus to the Malaysia Cup Round of 16, facing PDRM in the first leg on 18 January. On the same day, Kuching City will look to bounce back when they take on Penang FC.
Credit Photo ; JST
