Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) maintained their strong form in the Malaysia Super League with a 3-0 victory over Negri Sembilan at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Friday. The result underscored the gap in quality between the two teams, as JDT secured a decisive win with two goals before halftime and a third in the second half.

JDT opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Shahab Zahedi, who gave the hosts an early advantage. Bergson da Silva doubled the lead in the 31st minute, reinforcing JDT’s control of the match. In the 66th minute, substitute Marcos Guilherme added a third goal to put the game beyond doubt.

Negri Sembilan head coach Daniel Gimenez acknowledged the challenge posed by the reigning league champions but praised his players for their determined effort despite the defeat. “JDT players are on a different level. They have quality. I told my players they are playing at AFC Champions League Elite level, while we are just a Super League club,” Gimenez said. However, he emphasized the courage of his squad and was proud of their willingness to compete against a superior opponent.

JDT head coach Xisco Munoz highlighted the need for his team to tighten their defensive decision-making. While satisfied with the win, Munoz warned against complacency, stressing the importance of avoiding mistakes that could allow opponents to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. “We need to improve our decision-making in defensive moments. We can’t afford to relax and make silly mistakes. If we leave the door open in certain situations, they will find a way through,” he noted.

The victory keeps JDT firmly positioned at the top of the Super League standings, reinforcing their status as one of the strongest teams in Malaysian football. Meanwhile, Negri Sembilan will look to build on their resilience and continue developing their squad against high-level competition.