Meeting Viettel at home, can SLNA make a difference?

Thanh Hung• DNUM_ABZAIZCABJ 15:22

(Baonghean.vn) - At 5:00 p.m. on August 2, SLNA will welcome rookie Viettel at home in round 19. This is a good opportunity for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team to end their streak of draws and losses at 5.

The 0-2 defeat to Nam Dinh in round 18 caused the SLNA coaching staff and players to face a storm of criticism from Nghe An football fans. Since the "3-star" victory over HAGL in the final round of the first leg (round 13), Tran Nguyen Manh and his teammates have gone through 5 consecutive matches knowing only draws and losses (2 draws, 3 losses).

With 9th place on the rankings and a not too big gap compared to the 13th ranked team Quang Nam, only 4 points, the risk of having to play a play-off match at the end of the season for the Vinh Stadium team is not small. Therefore, the immediate task of the SLNA coaching staff is to quickly help the home team return to the winning track.

SLNA (đỏ) vừa để thua Nam Định với tỉ số 0 – 2 trên sân Thiên Trường. Ảnh: VPF

SLNA (red) just lost to Nam Dinh with a score of 0 - 2 at Thien Truong Stadium. Photo: VPF

Fortunately, in the situation of poor performance and a broken squad (Pham Xuan Manh is the latest case to suffer an injury), the Nghe An team will welcome new recruit Viettel right at the "fire pan of Thanh Vinh".

The reason why SLNA is said to be lucky is because the team from the capital has just experienced disappointing away matches. In the last two away matches, Viettel lost to Than Quang Ninh and TP.HCM with the same score of 0-1.

Despite having many quality players in the squad such as Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Trong Hoang, Vu Minh Tuan, Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc or foreign player Bruno, Viettel is still not highly appreciated for its collective playing style. Witnessing the performances of the Hang Day team this season, the connection between the players and between the lines is not really connected.

Trận lượt đi giữa 2 đội trên sân Hàng Đẫy đã kết thúc với tỉ số hòa 0 – 0. Ảnh tư liệu

The first leg between the two teams at Hang Day Stadium ended in a 0-0 draw. Photo courtesy

Besides, according to experts, the ability to read the game of coach Nguyen Hai Bien and his colleagues is not good. The proof is that Viettel has never successfully come back to this point in V.League 2019, when the opponent scored the opening goal (8 matches). Even 2 times, the team took the lead, but in the end Viettel let the opponent leave with 1 point in hand (draw 3-3 with Than Quang Ninh and draw 1-1 with Quang Nam).

That said, Viettel is not a formidable opponent for SLNA, especially since coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team are playing at home. Meeting the new V.League 2019 team is a great opportunity for Tran Nguyen Manh and his teammates to quench their thirst for victory. Don't forget, in the match against Viettel, the Nghe An team will welcome the return of the foreign duo Memovic - Olaha after their suspension./.