Saigon FC vs. Song Lam Nghe An: Will they break the jinx at Thong Nhat Stadium?

In the last round, while Song Lam Nghe An secured a convincing 2-0 victory against Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Viettel at Hang Day Stadium. Clearly, entering this match, Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates are in higher spirits than their counterparts on the other side.

Not to mention,Lam River, Nghe AnFurthermore, they will have the services of center-back and captain Hoang Van Khanh after missing two matches due to injury. And most importantly, coach Nguyen Huy Hoang and his team will receive the enthusiastic support of thousands of fans from Nghe An province who will fill the stands of Thong Nhat Stadium. This is a tremendous source of encouragement for Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates.

Song Lam Nghe An (in yellow jerseys) just won against Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Photo: Xuan Thuy.

However, that doesn't mean Song Lam Nghe An has a higher chance of winning than Saigon FC. Thong Nhat Stadium is a "fortress" for the Nghe An team. Since gaining promotion to the V.League (2016), Saigon FC has never lost a match against Song Lam Nghe An as the home team.

According to statistics, in their six visits to Saigon FC's "sacred ground," the yellow-shirted team only managed to collect a mere 2 points, with a record of (2 draws, 4 losses). The most recent defeat for the Nghe An team against Saigon FC was in Round 3 of the V.League 2021. With a single goal from Hoang Vu Samson in the 68th minute, the pink-shirted team sent Song Lam Nghe An's visitors leaving Saigon empty-handed.

At Thong Nhat Stadium, Song Lam Nghe An (in yellow jerseys) often faces many difficulties against Saigon FC. Photo courtesy of Huu Thanh.

It should be noted that at Thong Nhat Stadium, Song Lam Nghe An's record against Ho Chi Minh City FC, the neighboring team of Saigon FC, is more favorable. Specifically, since the 2017 season, the Nghe An team has won 2 matches and drawn 1 out of 5 games against Ho Chi Minh City FC at Thong Nhat Stadium, in both the V.League and the National Cup.

This shows that Thong Nhat Stadium is a strong advantage for Saigon FC in their matches against Song Lam Nghe An, even though the visiting team's fans always outnumber their supporters in the stands. It is very possible that the match in Round 4 of the V.League 2022 will be an exception.