Two games in since the restart of the 2020 Malaysia Super League and Johor Darul Ta'zim are already looking like they never stopped playing and training. Their superiority was laid bare for all to see as they sent Perak home in a humiliating fashion through goals from Afiq Fazail (22') Gonzalo Cabrera (36', 45', 63'), Safawi Rasid (79') and Akhyar Rashid (84').
On the opposite side, this was Perak's second straight defeat since the restart and whatever intentions they have going into the resumption of matches of challenging JDT is surely now gone. JDT produced an outstandingly efficient display to punish Perak and now goes six points clear at the top of the standings.
The visitors held on in the opening period but Afiq's fantastic curling effort from the edge of the box beyond the despairing dive of Nasrullah Aziz opened the floodgates. Perak's defence went on a self-destruct mode and Benjamin Mora's side took advantage of every goal-scoring opportunity presented to them.
"The score may be a little bit big because you look at the score it is 7-0 but it was a tough game at the beginning. Coach Mehmet knows how to organise the team. Tactically they were very well shaped in the beginning. If they were not pressing high, they were in a compact block with the two lines of four and two strikers very organised.
"They made the space very small for us to develop the game that we wanted to develop. Before Afiq scored, it was tough and a bit difficult. We weren't finding the way. Maybe the breakthrough of Afiq's goal gave use the confidence to continue progressing as the minute passed by.
"We found the road, found our way on the pitch, started to combine, started to do our game, started to do a good performance and the goals came, that gave us the tranquility to continue," said a pleased Mora in the post-match press conference.
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Starting his second straight match in quick succession, Ramadhan Saifullah is quickly earning himself quite a reputation, this time scoring a spectacular volley from the outside of the box after the ball had broken loose following a corner kick. The teenager had already found the back of the net in last weekend's match against Pahang, justifying his selection ahead of those deemed more experienced than him.
Mora was nothing short of enthusiastic to see the winger assimilating well to the senior team and is currently preferring to field Ramadhan ahead of the likes of Akhyar and Syafiq Ahmad while Safawi is allowed to slowly continue to recovery back to full fitness.
"If he scored one goal for us at Pahang, he was ready for Pahang. If he scored one goal against Perak, it meant that he was ready for Perak. I don't know next game if he's gonna be ready for the next opponent. As a player, I don't know which 19 or 18 years old player is ready. How do we know? They need to play, they need to perform and be on the pitch.
"The minutes is what make players ready. I think he's very skillful. I think he's a very intelligent player also very powerful. And he's a good moment. Whoever is in a good moment should be watched by the club, the coach and the team mates to take advantage of the situation.
"The wingers who play in this team is in a very similar level. Ramadhan is doing very well. He's a young boy. We don't know how his process is going to be but we are going to give him the confidence," enthused Mora on the latest prospect.
