Prediction Persib vs Lion City Sailors FC 2025/2026 season – Betting Tips for the AFC Champions League Two on 18/09/2025

Preview: Group stage opener promises fireworks in Bandung

Persib welcome Lion City Sailors FC to Stadion Gelora Bandung Lautan Api for the first group-stage meeting of the AFC Champions League Two on 18/09/2025, and the build-up carries a genuine feeling that this will not be a cautious, drab affair. Persib arrive with momentum from domestic action, having beaten Persebaya Surabaya 1-0 in their most recent outing and posting a strong run of results that reads W-D-L-W-W-W-D-D-L-W across their last ten. That pattern underlines a side capable of turning games in the final stages and grinding out victories at home; their most recent home metrics show a team that creates chances — an average of 12 shots with six on target — and finds the net while also conceding, a formula that often produces open matches.

Lion City Sailors come in on the back of confidence-boosting performances too, most notably a thumping 5-0 victory over Balestier Khalsa just days before this trip. Their form line of W-W-W-W-D-W-L-L-W-L suggests a potent attack and occasional defensive lapses, the kind of profile that pairs with Persib’s attacking tendencies to suggest goals. The S. League side’s recent best player performance, with Bart Ramselaar earning a 7.06 rating in that 5-0 romp, points to a forward unit hitting top gear ahead of this fixture.

Tactical angle and head-to-head colour

What adds extra spice is the recent head-to-head narrative: the last meeting in the competition between these two was a five-goal classic, with Persib overturning a 2-0 half-time deficit to claim a 3-2 win away. That match not only produced goals but showcased both teams’ willingness to attack and to leave space in transition. With home advantage for Persib and the capacity crowd of Stadion Gelora Bandung Lautan Api likely to energise the hosts, expect an enterprising Persib side that will try to press and create, while Lion City Sailors have shown they can punish gaps ruthlessly — their 5-0 outing is proof of that.

The statistical snapshot supports the same conclusion. Persib’s home figures point to matches where both teams get on the scoresheet and where totals climb above two goals, and Lion City’s recent scoring form indicates they are more than capable of meeting that intensity on the road.

Betting suggestion: Goal market — Over 2.5 goals. Based on Persib’s home attacking output, the 100% over 2.5 indication in their home sample and BTTS tendencies, combined with Lion City Sailors’ recent high-scoring results and the five-goal head-to-head memory, this matchup is set up for multiple goals. Consider Over 2.5 as the primary tip for bettors looking to back a lively, goal-rich encounter.