SHB.ĐN 2-1 SLNA: Merlo was the difference.

SHB Da Nang successfully capitalized on their home advantage to secure a 2-1 victory against strong opponent SLNA. Although he didn't score, striker Merlo deserves praise for his impressive performance.

SHB.ĐN brilliantly defeated SLNA - Photo: Thanh Nhan

Goal:

SHB.ĐN: Vũ Phong (48'), Thanh Hưng (51')

SLNA: Ndjodo (77')

Both SHB.ĐN and SLNA have made personnel changes compared to recent matches. For example, coach Huỳnh Đức rested 3/4 of his defensive players after the 2-2 draw against Than QN in round 5, which felt more like a loss. Meanwhile, coach Hữu Thắng welcomed back several players like Đình Đồng and Mạnh Hùng in the defense.

The tight defense of both sides meant the match didn't unfold as expected. The only clear chance in the first 30 minutes of the first half belonged to Cong Vinh, but his shot was saved by Van Hung.

SHB.ĐN also had a few notable chances from Thanh Hưng and Minh Phương, but their shots lacked the necessary power and accuracy to penetrate SLNA's net. Towards the end of the first half, coach Huỳnh Đức brought Merlo on to replace Hùng Sơn, indicating that SHB.ĐN would play more offensively at the start of the second half.

As expected, in the 48th minute, the substitute striker made a clever move before the ball reached Vu Phong's feet, and the midfielder from Vinh Long beat goalkeeper Nguyen Manh to open the scoring 1-0.

Just four minutes later, Merlo was again present with a clever pass to Thanh Hung, creating an opportunity for his teammate to shoot into the far corner, increasing the score to 2-0 for SHB.DN.

Having conceded goals in quick succession, SLNA resorted to an all-or-nothing approach. This caught the home team, SHB.ĐN, off guard, and one of their mistakes was punished when substitute Ndjodo reduced the deficit to 1-2 for SLNA in the 78th minute.

After this goal, SLNA continued to put pressure on the home team, causing many heart-stopping moments for the fans. However, despite 5 minutes of added time, the team from Nghe An province could not find an equalizer and had to accept a 1-2 defeat. This was also the third consecutive loss for coach Huu Thang and his players in the V-League 2014.

STARTING LINEUP:

SHB.ĐN: Thanh Bình – Adrian, Phước Vĩnh, Duy Lam, Hùng Sơn – Tấn Điền, Minh Phương, Minh Tâm, Thanh Hưng, Vũ Phong – Mamic.

SLNA: Van Hung – The Nhat, Manh Hung, Ngoc Hai, Dinh Hoang – Dinh Dong, Cong Vinh, Khac Ngoc, Phi Son – Biyaga, Moreira.

According to Bongdaplus