The nemesis of Song Lam Nghe An
No matter how strong a team is, there's always a nemesis who causes them trouble in every encounter. So, who is Song Lam Nghe An's nemesis, and who is their favorite "prey"?
Of the 13 opponents participating in the V.League 2024/2025 for the Nghe An team, their favorite prey is Becamex Binh Duong and Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Both of these teams have suffered 12 defeats in their last 20 encounters.
Notably, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, owned by Mr. Duc, has never beaten Song Lam Nghe An at Vinh Stadium since 2010. In the last six matches, the Nghe An team won five and lost only one against the team from the mountainous region. Therefore, it's easy to understand why Hoang Anh Gia Lai is considered a favorite "prey" for Song Lam Nghe An.
Becamex Binh Duong fared better than the team from the mountainous region. The team from Binh Duong finally broke an 8-year winless streak at Vinh Stadium and a run of 16 consecutive matches without a win against the team from Nghe An.
Besides Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Becamex Binh Duong, SHB Da Nang, Quy Nhon Binh Dinh, and Ho Chi Minh City Club are "easy points" for the Nghe An team. Song Lam Nghe An's unbeaten rate against these teams is nearly 70%.
Conversely, there are teams that strike fear into the hearts of the Nghe An team when they face them. One such team is Hanoi Police, with a 100% winning rate in recent years. In all three of the most recent encounters between the two teams, the victory has always gone to the Hanoi Police team.
Along with them are Hanoi FC, Dong A Thanh Hoa, and The Cong Viettel. These are the teams that have caused Song Lam Nghe An to suffer a defeat rate of up to 55% in recent years.
Although Thanh Hoa's squad isn't particularly strong, they consistently prove to be a formidable opponent, winning 11 out of their last 20 matches. Furthermore, in both previous V.League encounters last season, Dong A Thanh Hoa secured all three points. The last time the Nghe An team defeated their neighbors was in April 2019 with a 1-0 victory at home.
Hanoi FC has also won 11 out of their last 20 matches against Song Lam Nghe An. The strength and consistency of the capital city team over the years has led to repeated defeats for the Nghe An team. This season, it seems likely that the team owned by Mr. Hien will remain a formidable opponent for coach Pham Anh Tuan and his players.
Surprisingly, the 2-0 victory in the final round of the V.League 2023/2024 was Song Lam Nghe An's second win against The Cong Viettel in their last 11 matches. This victory helped the Nghe An team miraculously avoid relegation last season. This win will also give coach Pham Anh Tuan's team more confidence when they host the military team in November.
The Nghe An team is still actively finalizing the last preparations for the new season. Hopefully, these thorough preparations will help coach Pham Anh Tuan and his team overcome the negative streak they had this season.