PSIM Yogyakarta is undergoing a trial match during the Super League 2025-2026 competition break, facing PSIS Semarang.
The PSIM vs PSIS match will be held at the Yogyakarta Independent School (YIS) field on Saturday (12/13/2025) afternoon.
This will be a warm-up match before PSIM, challenging Persijap Jepara, in the 15th week of Liga 1, scheduled for December 23, 2025.
Meanwhile, PSIS Semarang is playing friendly matches to maintain their condition, especially since they are struggling in Liga 2.
The Laskar Mataram squad, nicknamed PSIM, succeeded in winning with a score of 2-0. Head coach Jean-Paul Van Gastel emphasized that the score was not the main focus.
“The result of this match is good, but for me, the result is not something important,” said Van Gastel, quoting the iLeague.id page.
The Dutch coach’s main focus is to restore the players’ fitness after a week-long break. He is only interested in the physical condition and tactical understanding of his charges.
“It’s like a match after a week off. We’re trying to get back into rhythm, as well as focus on the physical and tactical aspects of the game,” he said.
Van Gastel admitted that he had some difficulty developing his game because the field conditions were not conducive.
Furthermore, the situation became more difficult because PSIS chose to play defensively.
“We struggled to control the game because we like to pass the ball,” he added.
“With the field conditions like that, plus the opponent playing deeper, the match became difficult,” he said.
However, Van Gastel noted a number of important evaluation points. He realized there were still many gaps that needed to be immediately addressed.
“We can fix many things. There’s almost never a perfect game, so there’s always something to improve,” he said.
Physical preparation is the main focus ahead of the away match against Persijap.
“We also need to improve our physical aspects. We must be ready for the match against Jepara,” he emphasized.
Regardless of the trial results, Van Gastel hopes PSIM’s playing identity remains consistent.
“I hope we can play well, in the way we want to,” he concluded.
From a standings perspective, PSIM Yogyakarta is currently in 5th place in Liga 1 with 22 points from 13 matches (6 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses).
This performance shows that PSIM is capable of competing at the top despite being a promoted team.
Meanwhile, PSIS Semarang is competing in Liga 2 for the 2025/26 season. They are still fighting in the middle of the standings, with inconsistent performance. (*)
