ACL Two: Persib Bandung Booked Round of 16 Ticket
Luka Menalo Equalises in the 85th Minute and Balsa Sekulic Wins It in the Last Minute After a Fitrah Maulana Error Gave Victory the Lead; Igor Tolic’s Side Top Group E on 12 Points
Luka Menalo and Balsa Sekulic scored in the final five minutes as Persib Bandung came from behind to beat Melbourne Victory 2-1 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne.
Persib had the first real chance. Uilliam Barros had time and space to turn inside the area in the eighth minute after Victory’s defence backed off, but he pulled his shot wide. At the other end, Michael Ghossaini’s long-range effort bent away from goalkeeper Fitrah Maulana’s right post.
In the 32nd minute, Persib came inches from taking the lead. Barros headed a long clearance back into Sekulic’s path, and the forward ran at goal before curling a strike from 20 yards that rattled the crossbar. Four minutes later, Victory goalkeeper Jack Duncan, who had been beaten by Sekulic’s effort, kept out Eliano Reijnders’s low left-footed shot with his right hand.
Victory started the second half brightly. Keegan Jelacic flashed a shot across the face of goal, and Guillermo May came closest in the 51st minute when his left-footed shot from eight yards hit the post. Denis Genreau then went wide shortly after the hour.
The deadlock was broken in the 71st minute by an error. Jason Davidson’s hopeful lofted pass into the area was misjudged by Fitrah, who let it go through his hands as he came to claim it. The ball bounced towards goal, and Brendan Hamill touched it in.
Persib’s response came from the bench. Menalo, who came on in the 73rd minute for Barros, equalised in the 85th minute. He scored from close range on his second attempt after Rangar Oratmangoen’s cross had opened up the defence.
Five minutes later, Sekulic completed the turnaround. Mariano Peralta ran down the left and delivered a cross, and the Montenegrin forward steered it past Duncan.
The result takes Igor Tolic’s side to a maximum of 12 points at the top of Group E of the AFC Champions League Two 2026/27 and guarantees their place in the knockout rounds.
Persib had been drawn in Group E with FC Seoul, Melbourne Victory and The Cong-Viettel. They beat Victory 2-0 in the home fixture in Bandung on October 28. They also beat The Cong-Viettel 1-0 on October 14 to go top of the group on six points. The top two teams in the group go through.
Persib have two group games left: at home to FC Seoul on November 25 and away to The Cong-Viettel on December 2. With the knockout place already secured, those games decide where they finish in the group.
Credit Photo : AFC