DPMM FC 0-2 Johor Darul Ta’zim: shut out again, with two goals to find in Iskandar Puteri

Johor Darul Ta’zim won 2-0 away to DPMM FC on 23 October, in the first leg of their Malaysia FA Cup semi-final at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan. Whatever happens in the return, DPMM FC cannot go through without scoring at least two goals in it.

How the goals came

Bergson scored the only goal of the first half, in the 21st minute. Johor Darul Ta’zim changed two players at the start of the second half: Jairo replaced S. Zahedi and A. Aiman replaced Yago Cesar in the 46th minute. N. Mendez came on for M. Hidalgo in the 68th minute. E. Israfilov scored the second in the 72nd minute. DPMM FC did not find a reply.

Before the match, the Malaysian Football League quoted Xisco Munoz, the Johor Darul Ta’zim head coach, describing DPMM FC as a balanced side who sometimes, when they play his team, defend in an organised way, are very strong in that situation, and use it to counter-attack effectively. The same preview noted their 3-2 win over Kuching City FC in the Malaysia Super League the week before. Munoz also said he would rotate some players for the away leg while still picking his strongest eleven.

Why it went this way

So where did DPMM FC’s goals go? They had scored in every one of their four earlier matches in this cup. They lost 3-2 at home to Terengganu FC on 9 September, won 3-1 away to them on 16 September, drew 3-3 at home with Kuala Lumpur City on 20 September and won 1-0 away to them on 11 October. A side that had scored in all four found nothing on its own ground.

The tempting reading is that the rotation Munoz talked about would leave a gap for the home side. It did not. Whatever changes he made to his starting side, Johor Darul Ta’zim kept a clean sheet away from home. Utusan Malaysia reported that they are the defending champions of this competition, and they arrived having won all four of their earlier matches in it: 4-1 and 10-0 against Damansara FC, then 7-2 and 4-1 against Penang FC.

The real reasons are two, and they rank in this order.

First, this opponent keeps DPMM FC off the scoresheet. When the sides met in the Malaysia Super League on 25 October 2025, Johor Darul Ta’zim won 10-0. On 15 March 2026, on this same ground, they won 3-0. On 4 September 2026, in Iskandar Puteri, they won 3-0 again. DPMM FC scored in none of those matches, and they scored in none of this one. A team that was getting goals against everyone else in the cup still has none against Johor Darul Ta’zim from any of those four dates.

Second, the timing. Bergson’s goal came in the 21st minute, so DPMM FC were behind for most of the evening and never level again. The second goal, in the 72nd minute, came before they had found an equaliser, and it doubled what they need in the return.

Munoz’s pre-match description of DPMM FC, sometimes organised at the back and quick on the break against his team, is a plan that needs the score to stay close. An early goal against them took that plan away, and the second ended it for the night.

What comes next

The second leg is at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, on 8 November, kicking off at 8.15pm Malaysian time.

Verdict

StraitScore’s view: Johor Darul Ta’zim won this first leg by doing to DPMM FC what they did in each of the three meetings before it, keeping them from scoring. The goals came one in each half, and the home side never had a level score to build on after the 21st minute. DPMM FC have shown in this cup that they can score in bunches, three goals against Terengganu FC and three against Kuala Lumpur City. They will need at least two in Iskandar Puteri, against a defence they have not scored past on any of the four dates above. The tie is not over, but the first leg was won with authority.