Will Song Lam Nghe An play an 'all-in gamble' against Hoang Anh Gia Lai?

"Favorite Food"

After round 16 of V.League 2023/24, Song Lam Nghe An is in the second-to-last position on the rankings. The Vinh home team has 15 points with a goal difference of -6. Song Lam Nghe An's opponent in round 17 is Hoang Anh Gia Lai. The mountain town team has 3 more points and is ranked 2 places higher. Therefore, the confrontation at Pleiku Stadium on May 9 is considered the reverse final match of the two teams. If they lose, Song Lam Nghe An will officially fall into a dangerous "deep hole" from which it will be very difficult to escape.

A victory right on Pleiku field is what coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team certainly want to aim for. And in fact, the Nghe An team also has its own optimism, even though they have to play away. Because based on the history of confrontation, Hoang Anh Gia Lai has always been the "favorite dish" of Song Lam Nghe An. In the last 7 times the two teams have met, Nghe An Club has won 6 times and lost 1 match. Notably, since coach Phan Nhu Thuat officially took over as "commander" at Song Lam Nghe An, this team has always defeated Hoang Anh Gia Lai. However, that result is only for reference, and does not mean that Song Lam Nghe An will have a big advantage in the confrontation with Hoang Anh Gia Lai in round 17 of V.League 2023/24.

Because since coach Vu Tien Thanh officially took over the Pleiku home team, they have been unbeaten in the last 7 matches. In particular, the mountain town club has just won an important victory against a direct competitor in the red light group - Viettel right at Hang Day Stadium. This shows that Hoang Anh Gia Lai is rising strongly and is ready to overcome all obstacles to escape the danger zone, including Song Lam Nghe An.

“Only with food can one practice religion”, to do this, Hoang Anh Gia Lai has received great support from sponsors, including the source of money poured in by Lien Viet Post Bank. Therefore, when the players have been “doped”, they will fight with all their strength.

It can be affirmed that the positive results that Hoang Anh Gia Lai has achieved in the past rounds will be a big challenge for Song Lam Nghe An when they have to play away in the mountain town.

Okayall or nothing

V.League 2023/24 returned after nearly a month of hiatus, Song Lam Nghe An players seemed to be re-energized after a valuable draw against Hanoi FC. And what made coach Phan Nhu Thuat happiest was the timely return of Xuan Tien and Nam Hai. The presence of these two talents helped the Nghe An coach increase his tactical options against his opponents. Looking back at the match between Song Lam Nghe An and Hanoi FC, it can be seen that this team is lacking a conductor, someone capable of igniting highly diverse attacks. Manh Quynh or Van Viet are midfielders with technical qualities, but lack high-damage passes. And above all, this duo has not shown the qualities of a player capable of turning the game around. Meanwhile, Ba Quyen or Quang Tu only plays well as a blocking midfielder.

However, if Xuan Tien is on the field, coach Phan Nhu Thuat can completely bring out a ball control style of play, thereby imposing an attack on the opponent. The few minutes of the 2003-born midfielder being on the field as a substitute in the match against Hanoi FC brought positive signals for Song Lam Nghe An.

Therefore, when being “pushed into a corner”, coach Phan Nhu Thuat will most likely play an “all-in gamble” with Hoang Anh Gia Lai. “Win ​​all or lose nothing”, Song Lam Nghe An will most likely attack the opponent with an all-out attacking style to quickly gain an advantage. This style of play has brought success to the Nghe team in the last 3 matches with Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

If Song Lam Nghe An takes the initiative to play offensively against the home team Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Dinh Xuan Tien will likely be selected in the starting lineup. With his own qualities, Xuan Tien will play the role of sharing the fire on the attack line with Olaha. At that time, Song Lam Nghe An will become more unpredictable.

And who knows, on a lucky day, Song Lam Nghe An can find victory again when facing Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

The match between Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Song Lam Nghe An in round 17 of V.League 2023/24 will take place at 5:00 p.m. on May 9 at Pleiku Stadium.