Hot spots at Hang Day Stadium

In 20 previous encounters, Hanoi FC won 9, drew 7, and lost only 4. However, in matches involving teams with many strong-willed players, statistics are meaningless.

In the 2020 V.League season, Hanoi FC was winning convincingly, but unexpectedly, young midfielder Dang Van Lam scored with a powerful long-range shot, securing a victory for Song Lam Nghe An. Therefore, in this match, one-on-one duels on the field will be crucial in determining the outcome.

Van Quyet and Que Ngoc Hai will have an interesting showdown. (Photo: AFF)

Van Quyet - Que Ngoc HaiBoth captains of Hanoi FC and Song Lam Nghe An are former national team captains, so they possess ample experience and composure. Van Quyet has been seen scoring many unique goals. In recent years, Ngoc Hai has consistently been present at crucial free-kick spots in the V.League, often resembling Gattuso of AC Milan. Van Quyet is no stranger to the dangerous nature of Que Ngoc Hai's tackles.

Traditionally, the home team's number 10 will often play slightly to the left of Dinh Hoang's position, but it wouldn't be surprising if Van Quyet exploited Hoang Van Khanh's area. Both sides will be waiting for an opportunity, and whichever captain is highly focused will give their team the advantage.

Hung Dung - OseniCoach Chun Jae-Ho has quite a few players who can play the defensive midfield position in a 4-1-4-1 formation, but in our opinion, in this expectedly tense match, Hung Dung will take on this role. Simply put, compared to Dau Van Toan, the national team captain's ability to intercept is considered superior. To get points, the home team's midfield must isolate Olaha and Oseni from the rest of the team.

As a target striker, Oseni's ability to hold off defenders and surge forward has been proven by the Hanoi players. If the Nigerian player is given space to break free, the only way to stop him is to foul him.

Van Duc - Thanh ChungWith Hanoi's Thành Chung playing as a right-sided center-back, he will likely clash frequently with Văn Đức. With Sỹ Hoàng's presence as a winger in the 3-1-4-2 formation, Sông Lam Nghệ An's number 20 will have more space to operate. As a national team player with extensive experience, Văn Đức is very cunning in scoring goals; he might be absent-minded throughout the match, but a single mistake can cost the opponent dearly. Being teammates on the national team, they know each other quite well, so who will unleash their new tactics remains to be seen.

Siladi Vladimir- Xuan ManhWith 3 goals scored for the home team Hanoi, Siladi Vladimir is a player that Xuan Manh should pay attention to. The Serbian striker is only 1.76m tall, so his wide movement allows him to receive through passes from Hung Dung and Van Quyet. Midfielder Xuan Manh is a "rock" in front of Song Lam Nghe An's three-man defense due to his strong and tenacious playing style. Not only is he good defensively, but Xuan Manh also scored a goal against Hai Phong with a classy header.

Supporting Siladi Vladimir is newcomer Tonci Mujan (Croatia), who scored against H. Ha Tinh just minutes after coming on. It's likely Hanoi FC will only field two foreign players because Serbian player Uros Deric failed his medical examination. However, Xuan Manh will certainly have to work with Xuan Tien and Van Duc to control the midfield against Hanoi FC's all-national team midfield.

In the stands, the fans from Nghe An will certainly not be outdone by the home team's supporters. With well-organized preparations, thousands of Song Lam Nghe An fans will enthusiastically cheer on Coach Huy Hoang and his team to earn points.