Song Lam Nghe An - Khanh Hoa: Will the home team quench their thirst?
(Baonghean.vn) - At 5 PM on May 18th, coach Pham Anh Tuan's team will host bottom-placed Khanh Hoa in Round 19 of the V.League 2023/2024.
Song Lam Nghe An's objective in this match is to secure all three points. Only then will their chances of escaping the relegation zone become clearer. It can be said that victory is a mandate given to coach Pham Anh Tuan and his team by the Song Lam Nghe An management and fans.
In many respects, Song Lam Nghe An are considered the favorites to win. Besides the home advantage, coach Pham Anh Tuan also has a fairly high-quality squad, with a number of outstanding players such as goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet, defender Tran Dinh Hoang, and especially foreign player Michael Olaha.
Prior to their match against Khanh Hoa, the Nghe An team had just gone through a streak of 10 consecutive games without a win in all competitions (6 losses, 4 draws). As a result, they are languishing in second-to-last place in the standings, a position that would require them to participate in a playoff match against the runner-up of the National First Division. To avoid further problems, coach Pham Anh Tuan and his team must quickly return to a stable trajectory.
It should be noted that Song Lam Nghe An will be without Mario Zebic in the match against the team from "the land of agarwood". Having accumulated three yellow cards, the Croatian central defender will have to watch his teammates play in Round 19 from the stands. Mario Zebic's absence will significantly impact Song Lam Nghe An's strength, particularly their defense.
On the other side of the battlefield, Khanh Hoa has almost certainly secured their relegation to the 2024/2025 National First Division. Currently, the gap between them and the team above them, Song Lam Nghe An, has reached 6 points, equivalent to the points from two wins. Only by defeating the home team in Vinh will coach Tran Trong Binh's team see a "light at the end of the tunnel".
Unfortunately, the Nha Trang team has yet to win in their last 11 matches (7 losses, 4 draws). It's worth noting that in the previous encounter between the two teams at the 19/8 Stadium in late December 2023, Khanh Hoa was defeated by Song Lam Nghe An with a minimal score of 1-0. In short, it will be very difficult for coach Tran Trong Binh's team to earn even a point against Song Lam Nghe An in the upcoming match.
Hopefully, Michael Olaha and his teammates won't disappoint the football fans of Nghe An province any further. If they can't beat Khanh Hoa, what other team can they hope to beat, right, coach Pham Anh Tuan and his team?