Figueroa open to rotation in final 3 matches as JDT chase invincibility

The newly crowned 2019 Malaysia Super League champions continues their high level of performance in the season with a workmanlike 3-0 win over Perak in Ipoh which gives them their 15th win of the season but more importantly, keeps them unbeaten.

Only three matches remained and this away game to Perak was supposedly the toughest of the remaining fixures, so there's a very good chance now that Johor Darul Ta'zim will be able to repeat their 2016 success of finishing the entire league season without a single defeat.

Leandro Velazquez (37', 48') scored on either side of half time to give the visitors a comfortable 2-0 lead before substitute Akhyar Rashid capped off another perfect JDT result with the third in the third minute of stoppage time towards the end of the second half.

"We are very happy. We did a great job. To score three goals in Perak is very difficult. Perak is a tough team with good foreign players and a good coach. The game was very tough but we can go back with three points so I have to congratulate my players. 

"We have to think about how to rotate the team to give minutes to the other players. But we also have to think who to put in each game because we want to win. Today Azrif and Nazmi played well in their positions. We have rotated before when there's the Champions League, so we are ready to give players more time in the coming games," said Luciano Figueroa after the match.

Even without the presence of Gonzalo Cabrera and S. Kunanlan in the team, JDT still looked too strong for a Perak side that will be competing in the FA Cup final at the end of this month. Nazmi Faiz and Azrif Nasrulhaq came in instead and the JDT engine roared on.

With upcoming fixtures against PJ City FC (home), Kuala Lumpur (away) and Terengganu FC (home) to come, Figueroa could be eyeing a chance to give even more players a chance to get some game time. The likes of Syamer Kutty Abba, Syazwan Andik and even Akhyar may be staring at an opportunity to not only play but given respective starts.

This win at Perak Stadium makes it the second season in a row that JDT have won away to Perak, this result even bettering the 2-1 win they achieved in the 2018 season.

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