Johor Darul Ta'zim FC recorded a statement win in the 2020 Malaysia Super League on Friday with a 7-0 thrashing of Perak FA at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Gonzalo Cabrera scored a treble for the Southern Tigers as Benjamin Mora's men went six points clear at the top of the Malaysian top division with a fifth win from their sixth match of the ongoing campaign.
JDT failed to find a breakthrough in the opening minutes despite a bright start. The deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute when Afiq Fazail curled one into the corner from the edge of the box after Australian centre-back Antony Golec failed to clear his lines.
Their second in the 36th minute was the result of some great teamwork as Cabrera chested down a Diogo Luis Santo cross to Leandro Velazquez inside the box. But the Argentine, instead of taking the shot himself, returned the ball to an unmarked Cabrera who doubled the lead for the Malaysian champions.
Diogo then picked up his second assist by winning a penalty in the 45th minute that was converted by his fellow South American forward Cabrera who like in last week's win against Pahang FA made no mistake from 12 yards out
A fourth was added to the scoreline just before the half-time whistle by 19-year-old attacker Ramadhan Saifullah who fired past an unsighted Perak goalkeeper Nasrullah Aziz to take his personal tally to two goals from his first two Super League appearances.
Cabrera completed his hattrick in the 62nd minute after Diogo, despite hitting the deck, backheeled the ball past the opposition goalkeeper and onto the path of the Argentine maestro for a simple tap in.
Safawi Rasid came off the bench to score JDT's sixth getting behind the Perak backline with his pace before dribbling past Nasrullah for his first goal for the club since the announcement of a bid for his services from Portuguese outfit Portimonense SC.
Another substitute Akhyar Rashid made it 7-0 to complete the rout with six minutes left on the clock.
There was more good news for JDT as second-placed Terengganu FC were beaten by Melaka United at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Malacca, courtesy of a goal from Uche Agba coming in the 61st minute.
In the other match of the day, six-time domestic champions Selangor FA defeated hosts Sabah FA 2-1 at the Likas Stadium in Sabah.