Defeating the defending champion, does Song Lam Nghe An have enough strength to overcome the "fire pan" Lach Tray?

Song Lam Nghe An entered the 2025/2026 season with many doubts. The loss in the first round against PVF-CAND made fans even more worried. However, in the second round,Lam River Nghe Ancompletely transformed when overthrowing the reigning champion, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. This victory is a strong affirmation of the spiritual strength of the Nghe An team. Under the guidance of coach Phan Nhu Thuat, SLNA is gradually regaining its identity with a disciplined, enthusiastic and fearless playing style.

In the goal, young goalkeeper Cao Van Binh is showing remarkable maturity. The defense has a combination of experience from central defender Hoang Van Khanh and youth from Tran Nam Hai, on the two wings are Phan Ba ​​Quyen and Vuong Van Huy, both are fast players, play aggressively and have the ability to attack and defend. On the attack, the brilliance of main striker Michael Olaha and the quick integration of new foreign player Reon Moore have helped SLNA become more unpredictable. In addition, Khac Ngoc will be the soul of the midfield and is ready to make passes that open up opportunities for SLNA strikers to score.

Now, the confidence has returned to Nghe An fans and players. However, SLNA's biggest challenge is to maintain stability. Will the excitement after the victory over Nam Dinh continue to be shown by coach Phan Nhu Thuat's students against a tough opponent like Hai Phong?

Hai Phong also had their first victory against PVF-CAND, thereby affirming the return of a team that always knows how to stand up after falling. Under the leadership of coach Chu Dinh Nghiem, Hai Phong is still a pragmatic and effective team. They possess a squad of experienced domestic players and quality foreign players, capable of creating breakthroughs at any time.

Hai Phong will likely play with a 4-3-3 formation. The midfield trio Bicou Bissainthe - Luiz Antonio - Le Manh Dung will be the key to controlling the midfield and supporting the attack. Up front, foreign player Tagueu Joel will be the spearhead, with Le Hoang Nam and Nguyen Huu Son on the wings. Hai Phong's biggest advantage in this match is Lach Tray Stadium, which always fuels the players and puts great pressure on the away team.

Looking back at recent encounters, it can be seen that Hai Phong has a great psychological advantage when playing at home. In the last 5 times hosting SLNA at Lach Tray Stadium, Hai Phong is undefeated with 3 wins and 2 draws. Notably, SLNA has not been able to win at Hai Phong's field since 2019. This statistic shows that, regardless of their form, Hai Phong is always an extremely difficult opponent when playing at home. This is a great pressure on the psychology of SLNA players.

This match is a contest of two different football schools. Hai Phong represents experience and pragmatism. They probably won’t rush forward but instead will play solidly, waiting for their opponents to make mistakes to launch a punishment. Meanwhile, SLNA, with their excitement and passionate playing style, promises to actively press from the start to dominate the game.

Both teams have 3 points and a win will help them climb up the rankings, creating good momentum for the next rounds. The result of the match will depend a lot on the ability to defend and take advantage of opportunities. Will Hai Phong have enough strength to block SLNA's attacks? And do the Nghe players have enough courage to deal with an experienced opponent like Hai Phong?

With home advantage and experience, Hai Phong is rated higher. However, do not forget that SLNA is very confident. This match promises to be one of the attractive confrontations in round 3 of V-League.