'Dissecting' the lineups of Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai before the match at Vinh Stadium

Song Lam Nghe An has gone through 5 rounds of V.League 2023/2024, with a sad record. The Vinh home team only had 3 draws and had to accept 2 losses. That result caused Song Lam Nghe An to drop to 11th place in the 2023/2024 National Football Championship rankings. However, in addition to 2 convincing losses against Thanh Hoa and Hanoi FC, the Nghe club was also unlucky when Hong Linh Ha Tinh and Quang Nam took away 2 valuable points in the final minutes of the match.

Opponent ofLam River Nghe AnIn round 6 of V.League 2023/2024, Hoang Anh Gia Lai club is also facing a similar situation. The mountain town team started the season with a poor performance. Coach Kiatisak's team has yet to taste victory after the first 5 rounds of V.League. And currently this team is at the bottom of the rankings with 2 points.

If we consider all three lines, Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai both have their own strengths and weaknesses. In the midfield, the mountain town team is considered to be better than Song Lam Nghe An in the confrontation in round 6 of V.League. In the midfield area, Hoang Anh Gia Lai owns 3 stars including Tuan Anh, Minh Vuong and Chau Ngoc Quang. In particular, national player Tuan Anh is considered the core of this team. At present, the midfielder from Thai Binh is always highly regarded by coach Troussier. With experience, skillful technique, and possessing highly unpredictable passes, Tuan Anh is considered the leading central midfielder of Vietnamese football. In addition, Minh Vuong and Chau Ngoc Quang have also made a name for themselves by making great contributions to the small, diverse playing style of the mountain town club.

Song Lam Nghe An's central midfield trio of Nam Hai, Manh Quynh, Quang Vinh will have to face experienced midfielders like Tuan Anh, Minh Vuong, Chau Ngoc Quang. Overall, the three midfielders from Nghe An can hardly compare to the opponent's level. However, with their passionate playing style and desire to express themselves, hopefully the home team's midfield will not be overshadowed by the strikers from Pleiku.

In defense, in the past 5 rounds of V.League 2023/2024, Song Lam Nghe An has revealed many weaknesses. The Nghe team conceded 11 goals, many of which showed the inexperience of coach Phan Nhu Thuat's students. This is also understandable because Song Lam Nghe An's central defenders this season are still too young and have only just "started" to test their skills in V.League. Currently, the central defenders who can play in Song Lam Nghe An's defense include Le Nguyen Hoang (born in 2005), Le Van Thanh (born in 2001), Phan Ba ​​Quyen (born in 2002). These players do not have the advantage of physique and physical strength. Therefore, they are often at a disadvantage in competitive situations.

Song Lam Nghe An's defense is too thin, and foreign midfielder Mario has yet to show his outstanding abilities. Many mistakes by the Croatian player have made Song Lam Nghe An pay the price with regrettable draws against Hong Linh Ha Tinh and Quang Nam. It must be affirmed that this season, Song Lam Nghe An's defense is lacking a player with leadership qualities, who can be a spiritual and professional support for his teammates.

On the other side of the front line, Hoang Anh Gia Lai's defense is not much better. They have conceded 10 goals in the last 5 matches. The trio of central defenders Quang Nho, Jairo and Van Son have not shown the ability to cover and support each other. That is why coach Kiatisak's team let the opponent score quite easily.

In the front line, starting from round 3, Hoang Anh Gia Lai has added Jhon Cley from the Hanoi Police Club. However, the striker who scored the most goals for the police team last season has not left much of an impression. This is also the problem that has been giving the mountain town team a headache since the beginning of the season.

In addition, Hoang Anh Gia Lai also faced an additional disadvantage in attack when foreign players Martin and Dinh Thanh Binh suffered injuries. This was the reason why Jhon Cley was alone and could not show the strengths he had shown in the 2023 season.

On the other hand, although the Vinh home team does not have a good defense, in return the attack is having a fairly high scoring efficiency (averaging 1.4 goals/match). In particular, the main striker Olaha has gradually regained his killer instinct, when in the match against Quang Nam, this player contributed a hat trick. If the duo Success and Olaha find a common voice, finding a way into Hoang Anh Gia Lai's goal will not be too difficult.

Currently, Song Lam Nghe An is in a difficult situation. However, Nghe An fans still believe in the home team's victory against the representative from the Central Highlands. Because in the last 4 meetings, Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost to Song Lam Nghe An. This is also a spiritual support to help coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team aim for their first victory in V.League 2023/2024./.