Coming from behind against Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Song Lam Nghe An officially stays in the league

The match between Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai in round 25 of V.League 2024/25 took place on the afternoon of June 15 at Vinh Stadium. Attending the match were comrades: Nguyen Duc Trung - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Hoang Nghia Hieu - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Le Hong Vinh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Phung Thanh Vinh - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Tran Thi My Hanh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

There are only 2 rounds left until the end of the season, butLam River Nghe Anstill uncertain of staying in the league, ranked 12th and only 2 points above the "red lantern" group. The match against Hoang Anh Gia Lai is considered a "reverse final", forcing coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team to win to decide their own fate.

However, the Vinh home team entered the match with many losses in force. Key players such as Olaha, Zaracho and Tran Nam Hai were absent due to injuries and penalty cards.

However, coach Phan Nhu Thuat has the return of Van Khanh and Khac Ngoc, and at the same time, adjusts the lineup with the central defender duo Hoang Van Khanh - Le Van Thanh, the two wings are Phan Ba ​​Quyen and Vuong Van Huy, the midfield includes Quang Vinh, Khac Ngoc, Ho Van Cuong and Ngo Van Luong, while Xuan Tien and Kuku lead the attack.

Right after the opening whistle, Song Lam Nghe An proactively pushed up their formation, but it was Hoang Anh Gia Lai who created the first clear opportunity. In the 6th minute, Ly Duc headed the ball close to the goal but it missed the post. In the 9th minute, Silva had a dangerous shot but was blocked by goalkeeper Van Viet.

After many missed situations, in the 15th minute, the away team opened the score after Dos Santos' skillful handling and close-range finish.

Not long after, in the 36th minute, in a quick attack, Van Viet was forced to rush out of the penalty area to block and let the ball touch his hand, and was sent off after the referee consulted VAR.

Despite playing with one less player, the Nghe An team still tried their best to attack. In the 42nd minute, Ngo Van Luong almost equalized with a skillful curling shot. However, before the end of the first half, Dos Santos continued to punish SLNA's defense by scoring a goal to increase the score to 2-0 after an accurate cross.

In the second half, coach Phan Nhu Thuat sent Manh Quynh and Nam Hai onto the field, helping the team play more stably. In the 50th minute, from the middle, Quang Vinh made a beautiful curling shot to shorten the score to 1-2. Just 5 minutes later, from a long pass from Khac Ngoc, Manh Quynh broke the offside trap, faced the ball and then calmly finished to equalize the score 2-2.

Despite playing with one less player, Song Lam Nghe An continued to put pressure on the field. In the 84th minute, from a free kick on the right wing, Zaracho rushed in at the right time and finished decisively, raising the score to 3-2, causing Vinh Stadium to explode.

In the final minutes, Hoang Anh Gia Lai fought back to find an equalizer but failed. The match ended with a spectacular 3-2 comeback victory for the home team.

With this victory, Song Lam Nghe An officially won the right to stay in the league 1 round early - ending a difficult period with an emotional and brave match.