Can SLNA win against Saigon FC?
(Baonghean.vn) - The away match against Saigon FC in Round 12 of the V.League 2019 for Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team is predicted to be a tough one.
Football fans in Nghe An are hoping that SLNA will end their disappointing five-match streak with a victory against the home team, Saigon FC.
Before facing Saigon FC, SLNA suffered a 1-2 defeat against Ho Chi Minh City FC in Round 11 on May 25th - marking their fifth consecutive match without a win (4 draws, 1 loss).
Objectively speaking, the chances of Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's team securing all three points are quite slim. Simply put, Saigon FC is in excellent form. According to statistics from their last five matches, Nguyen Ngoc Duy and his teammates have earned 9 points with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses.
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| Saigon FC is in pretty good form recently. Photo: zing.vn |
In particular, Saigon FC always proves to be very dangerous when playing at home. Since the beginning of the 2019 V.League season, coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team has only managed wins and draws in their home matches at Thong Nhat Stadium (4 wins, 2 draws). Not many teams in the 2019 V.League at this point are utilizing their home advantage as well as the team in pink jerseys.
Another factor working against SLNA is their head-to-head record against Saigon FC at Thong Nhat Stadium. In their three away matches against Saigon FC, the Nghe An team lost all three (0-1 in V.League 2016, 1-3 in V.League 2017, and 1-2 in V.League 2018).
However, coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his team also have certain reasons to believe in a victory against Nguyen Ngoc Duy and his teammates. First, there is the support of a large number of fans from Nghe An province. Thong Nhat Stadium on the evening of May 31st will become a "Vinh City cauldron" in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.
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| SLNA will welcome back Phan Văn Đức. (Photo: Archival image) |
Furthermore, SLNA's playing style and fighting spirit are showing noticeable improvement. What they achieved in the second half against Ho Chi Minh City FC is clear evidence of this.
One detail worth mentioning is the remarkable return of midfielder Phan Văn Đức. It is highly likely that the 1996-born player will be brought on from the bench by coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng.
In the previous match against Ho Chi Minh City FC, also played at Thong Nhat Stadium, the Nghe An team scored their first goal after 414 minutes without finding the opponent's net.
Hopefully, SLNA will end their streak of draws and losses in their match against Saigon FC in round 12, which takes place at 7 PM tonight (May 31st).