Song Lam Nghe An shared the points in the Nghe An derby.

The Nghe An derby, taking place at Vinh Stadium between Song Lam Nghe An and Hong Linh Ha Tinh on the afternoon of September 29th, is predicted to be a tough match for coach Pham Anh Tuan's team. Hong Linh Ha Tinh has completely transformed compared to last season. With significant investment in personnel and thorough professional preparation, Hong Linh Ha Tinh is surprising the entire V.League with their incredibly impressive form. Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team has won two consecutive matches, earning a full 6 points and temporarily sitting in second place in the standings.

Meanwhile, Song Lam Nghe An is facing a squad crisis and has had a poor start to the season. Coach Pham Anh Tuan's team has only managed to get 1 point after 2 rounds.

Heading into the derby, Song Lam Nghe An will once again be without the services of several key players such as Tran Nam Hai, Tran Dinh Hoang, Phan Ba ​​Quyen, Zaracho, etc.

To fill the void left by these players, coach Pham Anh Tuan brought Le Van Thanh, Nguyen Xuan Binh, and Phan Van Thanh onto the field to play in the central defender position.

The wing-back duo remains Vương Văn Huy and Bùi Thanh Đức. In the central midfield are Đặng Quang Tú and Nguyễn Quang Vinh. Đinh Xuân Tiến and Olaha are positioned as wing forwards. Kuku continues as the central striker for Sông Lam Nghệ An.

As expected, the visiting team took the initiative right from the start of the match in Vinh. And almost in the 2nd minute, Geovane could have given Hong Linh Ha Tinh the lead. Following a misplaced pass from Bui Thanh Duc, the Hong Linh Ha Tinh striker wearing number 94 had a chance to face goalkeeper Van Viet. However, the home team's goalkeeper made an excellent save, clearing the ball right from Geovane's feet.

Despite playing at home, Song Lam Nghe An was largely outplayed by their opponents. Therefore, it wasn't until the 23rd minute that Song Lam Nghe An had their first opportunity to threaten Thanh Tung's goal. Olaha made a pass into the middle of the goal for Kuku, but the striker was unable to get past the opposing center-back.

In the final minutes of the first half, Hong Linh Ha Tinh had a series of opportunities in front of Van Viet's goal. Notably, Trong Hoang's shot towards the far post in the 40th minute was unsuccessful, as his teammates were unable to convert the chance into a goal.

In the final seconds, Song Lam Nghe An had a golden opportunity to open the scoring, but failed to convert it. Olaha's shot deflected off a Ha Tinh player, inadvertently creating a chance for Kuku to score, but the striker was unlucky, shooting the ball over the crossbar despite having a high chance of scoring. Therefore, the first half ended with a 0-0 score.

In the second half, Song Lam Nghe An became more proactive in controlling the ball. This allowed the home team to create several dangerous opportunities in front of Thanh Tung's goal.

A clear scoring opportunity for Song Lam Nghe An at the start of the second half belonged to Dinh Xuan Tien. From a set piece directly in front of the goal, close to the opponent's penalty area, Dinh Xuan Tien unleashed a low shot, but Thanh Tung made an excellent save to push the ball away for a corner.

Aiming to take a more proactive approach, coach Pham Anh Tuan decided to bring on Ho Khac Luong, Ho Van Cuong, and Tran Manh Quynh to replace Le Van Thanh, Bui Thanh Duc, and Dinh Xuan Tien. The inclusion of these players helped Song Lam Nghe An create several clear scoring opportunities in front of goalkeeper Thanh Tung's goal.

Notably, in the 88th minute, after several intricate passing sequences, Quang Vinh made a breakthrough on the left wing and unleashed a powerful shot towards the opponent's goal, but unfortunately, the ball went wide of the post.

Just when their play seemed to be improving, Song Lam Nghe An unexpectedly conceded a goal in the 90th minute. Van Long broke through to receive a through pass and finished decisively, beating Van Viet and opening the scoring for Hong Linh Ha Tinh.

It seemed the match would end with the away team winning, but Song Lam Nghe An managed to equalize in the final seconds of injury time. Song Lam Nghe An's equalizer came from a free kick just 18 meters from the goal. Striker Kuku unleashed a stunning shot that nestled into the top corner, leaving Thanh Tung helpless.

The final score of the Nghe An derby was 1-1.

In Round 4, Song Lam Nghe An will travel to Thien Truong Stadium to face the home team Nam Dinh.