Sabah hosted Persib Bandung in a club friendly on Friday, August 15th, and the visitors made it three goals without reply. The final score read 0-3, a straightforward evening for the Indonesian side but one that exposed some defensive frailties at home. And here's the thing about friendlies — you watch for patterns, not just results.
Persebaya Bandung took the lead in the 28th minute through M. Peralta, who capped off a period of sustained pressure. Sabah had been pushing forward with some intent, but the visitors' defence held shape until that moment. By then, there were already two yellow cards on the board, one at the 6th minute and another at 23rd.
The second goal came in the 76th minute via L. Menalo, and this time the visitors switched off at a set piece. Sabah conceded from a corner, a mistake that felt particularly costly. Three yellow cards had already been shown by this stage, and the home side's discipline was clearly under scrutiny.
B. Putra added the third in the 89th minute, effectively putting the game to bed. The hosts had nothing to lose at that point, but their attacking moves lacked the sharpness that would have made this a proper contest. Two more yellows followed in stoppage time, bringing the total to six bookings for the evening.
Looking at the recent form, Persib Bandung arrived with momentum — four wins in their last five matches across various competitions. Sabah's record was mixed, with two losses in their last five including that narrow 1-0 defeat to Trengganu. To be fair, friendlies don't always reflect league form, but the result told its own story.
What stood out wasn't the scoreline so much as the manner of it. Persebaya Bandung controlled the middle third, found a way through when it mattered, and didn't allow the home side any real breathing space. Sabah will need to address those set-piece vulnerabilities before the league campaign starts.