Barito Putera’s Relentless Run Continues as Persiku Kudus Implodes Amid Red Card Chaos at Stadion Wergu Wetan

KUDUS, Indonesia — There are nights when a league leader bends but does not break. Then there are nights—like Friday at Stadion Wergu Wetan—when the table-toppers simply suffocate all resistance and leave the opposition unraveling in their wake. In a match marked by rising tension and two second-half red cards, Barito Putera delivered a clinical 2-0 victory over Persiku Kudus, stretching their perfect Liga 2 start to four straight wins and reaffirming their status as the division’s team to beat.

If Barito Putera’s surge atop the table has seemed nearly inevitable in recent weeks, tonight it became almost axiomatic. Twelve points from twelve, no goals conceded for the second straight match, and a professionalism that appears to be extracting a heavy toll on even the most spirited of challengers. For Persiku Kudus—whose last five matches now read loss, loss, loss, loss, win—the latest setback will sting not only for the two goals conceded, but for the unraveling discipline that saw them reduced to nine men before the final whistle.

The evening’s first half, though, told a different story. Roared on by a loyal home crowd in Kudus, Persiku began with a conservative but urgent shape—compact at the back, searching for width, determined to avoid the defensive frailties that had doomed them in recent weeks against Deltras and Persela Lamongan. For 44 minutes, the formula worked: Barito’s possession spelled danger but not disaster, and the hosts even mustered a handful of hard-fought counters, testing Barito’s back line with fleeting crosses that fell just short of their mark.

But in the fractious final minute before halftime, the match took its first decisive turn. A crunching foul in midfield—one that underlined the hosts’ increasingly desperate bid to keep Barito at bay—earned Persiku Kudus a straight red card on 45 minutes, tilting the balance of power irreversibly. The sense inside Stadion Wergu Wetan shifted palpably: Barito’s bench, stoic until then, began to sense opportunity.

Emerging for the second half with a man advantage, Barito Putera pressed higher and wider. The deadlock persisted until the 61st minute, when an incisive move finally punctured the Kudus resistance. A slick passing sequence down the left flank set up a clean finish, the identity of the Barito scorer unconfirmed, but the collective statement unmistakable. Barito’s methodical build-up, so often a war of attrition, had at last found its reward. The goal was as much a product of patience as of tactics—the leader’s hallmark, imposed with withering inevitability.

Persiku, now chasing the game a man down, resorted to hopeful long balls and increasingly ragged clearances. Their spirit flickered, but frustration festered. Any hopes of a late home rally evaporated in stoppage time. In an echo of their first ejection, Persiku again saw red in the 90th minute, reducing them to nine and all but sealing their fate. Within moments, Barito Putera capitalized, slotting home a second goal—again, scorer unconfirmed—to put the contest beyond all doubt.

Context and Consequence

This result does more than preserve Barito Putera’s flawless record; it cements their control over Liga 2’s early narrative. Their balance of attack and restraint has yielded four wins from four, and with each victory—tonight’s especially—they look more and more like a club determined to reclaim top-flight status. For a squad that trounced Persipal 5-0 only two weeks ago and has now dispatched PSIS Semarang and Deltras away, this performance fits the emerging pattern: calm under pressure, punishing when given space, unafraid to wait for the moment to strike.

Persiku, meanwhile, find themselves in spiral. The encouraging signs seen in September’s 4-0 win at PSIS Semarang have faded, replaced by a four-match losing run marked by defensive frailty and now, alarming disciplinary lapses. The two red cards tonight, coming on either side of halftime, not only handed Barito the numerical (and psychological) advantage but also illustrated the frustration of a team struggling to halt its slide. For a club with ambitions of at least mid-table stability, these are setbacks that can quickly take on the shape of a crisis.

What’s Next

For Barito Putera, the pathway is clear but no less demanding: maintain their ruthless consistency, guard against any hint of complacency, and begin to look ahead to the sort of late-season showdowns that can define promotion chases. The pressure that accompanies a perfect start grows heavier with each win, but so too does the confidence that this is a side built to last.

For Persiku Kudus, the next chapter will demand reflection and resolve. Their defensive structure can keep dangerous opposition at bay—for a while—but unless discipline and unity return, their season may soon be defined by damage control rather than upward aspiration. With suspensions looming following the red cards, and confidence fraying, their response in the coming fixtures will speak volumes about the character in the dressing room.

Tonight, Barito Putera left Stadion Wergu Wetan not just with three more points, but as the standard-bearers of Liga 2—a status earned not with spectacle, but with structure, patience, and now, a test passed under duress. For Persiku Kudus, the search for answers grows more urgent. For Barito Putera, the march continues—unbroken, unyielding, and, on nights like this, utterly emphatic.