Song Lam Nghe An brought home a valuable point when facing host Hoang Anh Gia Lai

HAGL relieves thirst for goals

On the afternoon of October 3, Song Lam Nghe An traveled to Pleiku Stadium to face Hoang Anh Gia Lai in the 6th round of V.League 2025/26. This match received a lot of attention because both teams are going through a difficult period and really need a positive result to improve their position on the rankings.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai did not start the season as expected. After four rounds, coach Le Quang Trai and his team have not scored any goals, only won two draws and suffered two defeats. On the other side, Song Lam Nghe An has not created stability with only four points after five rounds, ranking 11th. The 2-3 loss to Ho Chi Minh City Police in round 5, despite leading by two goals, made coach Phan Nhu Thuat decide to resign. Assistant Huy Hoang was assigned to temporarily lead the team in the away match in Pleiku.

With the current force, SLNA uses the 4-2-3-1 formation. Olaha continues to be the expected spearhead in the attack, while the midfield puts a lot of faith in the experience and ability to organize the game of Ho Khac Ngoc. Despite having to play away from home and being under great pressure after the change in the coaching bench, the Nghe An team entered the match with determination.

In the 2nd minute, SLNA created the first chance when Van Cuong crossed for Olaha in the penalty area, but the foreign striker did not have time to touch the ball. The match took place in heavy rain, making the field slippery and the ball wet, causing many difficulties for both teams. The surprise happened in the 7th minute when HAGL opened the score. From a cross from the left wing, Minh Tam rushed in and finished close to the goal, defeating goalkeeper Van Binh. This was the first goal of the mountain town team in V.League 2025/26, helping them relieve psychological pressure after a series of scoreless matches.

After conceding the goal, SLNA pressed hard but HAGL's defense played tight and took advantage of counter-attacks. In the 32nd minute, Ho Van Cuong crossed the ball to Khac Ngoc, who passed it back to Enrique, but the midfielder's powerful volley went wide of the goal. Just a few minutes later, Ryan Ha almost doubled the gap for HAGL, but Van Binh's reflexes made an excellent save. The first half ended with a 1-0 advantage in favor of HAGL.

Olaha shines, SLNA escapes defeat dramatically

In the second half, SLNA continued to try to find an equalizer. In the 50th minute, they raised their formation, attacked strongly but encountered many difficulties against the home team's difficult counter-attacking style. In the 59th minute, from a corner kick, Jairo Filho headed the ball into the wall for Quang Kiet to finish close to the goal, luckily for SLNA, Mai Hoang was able to clear the ball on the goal line.

The deadlock lasted until the 69th minute before it was broken. In a seemingly harmless situation, HAGL's defense fumbled the ball, allowing Olaha to unleash a powerful left-footed shot, leveling the score at 1-1 for SLNA. This was a timely goal, helping the away team regain control of the game.

At the end of the match, HAGL created many dangerous situations. In the 79th minute, Vinh Nguyen took a corner kick, forcing Van Binh to struggle to push the ball away, then Quang Kiet's kick failed. In the 85th minute, Gia Bao had a chance in the penalty area but his shot went wide of the goal. The climax of the drama came in the 9th minute of extra time, when Van Khanh fouled Gia Bao in the penalty area. After consulting VAR, the referee awarded HAGL a penalty. At the 11m mark, captain Jairo Filho kicked the ball into the sky, missing the chance to decide the match.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw. HAGL scored their first goal of the season but continued to be unable to win, while SLNA narrowly escaped defeat at Pleiku Stadium. A valuable point helped the Nghe An team maintain some confidence in a volatile context.