The Lam River in Nghe An province fell at Pleiku.

In the second round, taking place on the afternoon of September 20th at Pleiku Stadium, Song Lam Nghe An will travel to the mountain city to face the home team HAGL. This is expected to be a very difficult match for coach Pham Anh Tuan's team, as Song Lam Nghe An is currently heavily impacted by a wave of injuries and suspensions.

Specifically, a number of key players such as Nam Hai, Ho Van Cuong, Khac Luong, Le Nguyen Hoang, Phan Ba ​​Quyen, and Zaracho were unable to participate in the second-round match. This is a significant headache for coach Pham Anh Tuan, as he currently only has Van Binh, Le Van Thanh, Phan Van Thanh, Nguyen Mai Hoang, and Tran Dinh Hoang who can play center back.

To ensure stability in their gameplay, the Nghe An coaching staff continued to opt for a 3-4-3 formation. In this formation, the three central defenders chosen by coach Anh Tuan were Xuan Binh, Le Van Thanh, and Vuong Van Huy; the wingbacks were Bui Thanh Duc and Long Vu; the two central midfielders were Quang Vinh and Manh Quynh; Olaha and Ngo Van Luong were positioned as wing forwards; and Kuku played as the furthest forward in the attack.

On the other side of the pitch, Hoang Anh Gia Lai fielded a lineup not much different from their resounding victory against Quang Nam. Key players such as Jairo, Quang Nho, Thanh Son, Ngoc Quang, Marciel, and Jeferson were all included in the starting XI.

With high spirits and home advantage, Hoang Anh Gia Lai quickly took control of the match after kick-off. In the first half, coach Vu Tien Thanh's team created a series of opportunities that could have found the net against Van Viet (SLNA). However, the team from the mountainous region lacked the luck to secure a lead.

Notably, in the 26th minute, Bao Toan (HAGL) dribbled well down the left wing and delivered a perfect cross, but Minh Vuong lost his balance while controlling the ball.

After a series of varied attacks, the team from the mountainous region finally got what they needed in the 36th minute of the match. Notably, HAGL repeatedly used the tactic of "going down the wing and crossing the ball into the penalty area," and this strategy ultimately proved successful. Following an overlapping run on the left wing, Du Hoc delivered a high cross, and Ngoc Quang rose high to head the ball into the net, leaving Van Viet helpless and opening the scoring for the home team.

After taking the lead, HAGL deliberately slowed down the pace of the game, ceding possession to SLNA. The visitors pushed forward, but the pressure wasn't enough to break HAGL's defense. In injury time of the first half, HAGL scored again, this time against goalkeeper Van Viet. However, referee Do Anh Duc ruled that Ngoc Quang was offside before scoring against SLNA.

In the second half, coach Pham Anh Tuan continued to instruct his players to push forward in search of an equalizer. However, the defense of the team from the mountainous region played very tightly, successfully neutralizing Song Lam Nghe An's attacks.

Besides effective defense, the team from the mountainous region also organized many sharp attacks.

In the 66th minute, Marciel made a well-placed through pass for Ngoc Quang to break free and face Van Viet's goal, but the HAGL midfielder failed to beat the visiting goalkeeper. In the 74th minute, Quoc Viet continued to threaten Van Viet's goal with a close-range shot.

In the final minutes of the match, HAGL was the better team. In the 83rd minute, Thanh Sơn once again threatened SLNA's goal with a shot that narrowly missed the post. After many attempts, HAGL doubled their lead. In the 90+4 minute, Quốc Việt released the ball perfectly for Thanh Sơn to place a precise shot past Văn Việt, securing a 2-0 victory for HAGL.

With three points against SLNA, the home team secured their second consecutive victory in the V.League 2024/25. Coach Le Quang Trai's team continues to lead the table after this round./.