PSM Makassar and Persita played out a 2-2 draw in Liga 1's Regular Season third round on Saturday, a result that left both sides where they had been before kickoff. The hosts opened the scoring through A. Andrejic in the seventeenth minute, but Persita responded before the interval and took the lead late on before A. Raehan levelled. And here's the thing — matches like this rarely turn on the final whistle.
Andrejic's goal came from sustained pressure, though the statistics show 108 attacks compared to Persita's 76. The visitors had been disciplined so far, with only one yellow card to S. Jevtoski in the nineteenth minute, while the home side already had Raehan booked after just a minute. By then, PSM Makassar's possession advantage of 55 per cent was doing little to translate into clear chances.
The second half brought a flurry of changes, with four substitutions in quick succession between the sixty-first and eightieth minutes. A. Raehan made it 2-1 in the seventy-second minute, a moment that shifted the atmosphere. To be fair, Persita had been patient, waiting for their chance rather than chasing the game.
Tyronne put Persita ahead in the seventy-fourth minute, and the home side's bench emptied as manager tried to respond. But Jevtoski found the net in the eighty-third minute to restore parity, completing a comeback that felt inevitable once Persita stopped retreating. The old head settled them down, or so it seemed from the stands.
The numbers tell part of the story: PSM Makassar dominated possession and attacks, yet Persita won more free kicks — 13 to 7 — and threatened on the counter. Many shots with two goals means chances went begging for the home side, and that is often where these matches are decided.
PSM Makassar remain thirteenth with two points from three games, while Persita move to eighth with five. The table goes out of the window in these games, but points accumulate regardless. Both sides extended their unbeaten runs to three, which is a comfort rather than a statement.
