Song Lam Nghe An and the challenges before The Cong Viettel

The match between The Cong Viettel and Song Lam Nghe An in round 20 of V.League 2024/2025 promises to be very exciting, as both teams need points to serve different goals. The Cong Viettel, with home field advantage, is aiming for a victory to continue chasing the top spot. Meanwhile, Song Lam Nghe An is struggling at the bottom of the table and needs points to avoid falling into the danger zone.

In the previous round, The Cong Viettel suffered a 1-3 defeat against Thanh Hoa, but they still maintained 4th place with 30 points. The army team possesses a deep squad and disciplined playing style, with quality foreign players such as Pedro Henrique, Wesley Nata, Amarillo playing at high performance, alongside a quality domestic squad including Tien Dung, Van Khang, Duc Chien and Huu Thang. Viettel's physical playing style, high pressing ability and flexibility in launching attacks are always weapons that make any opponent wary.

On the other hand, Song Lam Nghe An is facing many difficulties. The 1-1 draw against Quang Nam in round 19 left them stuck in 12th place with 19 points. The Nghe team is struggling in the relegation race, and the upcoming schedule is not easy when they have to play away games against The Cong Viettel and Hai Phong, before returning to Vinh Stadium to welcome Hanoi Club.

One of the big losses for Song Lam Nghe An is the injury of midfielder Zaracho, who suffered an ankle injury in the match against Thanh Hoa in round 18 and will need at least 3 weeks to recover. His absence leaves a gap in the defense, where he plays an important role, as Hoang Van Khanh loses his partner. In many recent matches, Zaracho has stood out with excellent saves, which are no different from the goals that saved the home team.

The most promising candidate to replace Zaracho at this time is central defender Le Van Thanh. The player wearing the number 5 shirt has played relatively consistently in 2025, standing out with good competition ability, strong in aerial battles and choosing the right position. However, Van Thanh's weaknesses lie in speed and physical strength. He often runs out of breath in speed races and has difficulty maintaining stability throughout the entire 90 minutes of play.

The history of confrontation between the two teams is also not in favor of Song Lam Nghe An. In the 24 previous meetings, Viettel had a clear advantage. Notably, in the most recent confrontation on November 19, 2024, Song Lam Nghe An suffered a 0-5 defeat right at Vinh Stadium.

However, the positive thing that can be noted is the unyielding fighting spirit of the Nghe An team. “In every match, Song Lam Nghe An has a great determination, viewing each match as a final, with the hope of having a good result when the season ends. Each upcoming match will not be just 3 simple points, but a chance to survive, a place to show the mettle and pride of the most traditional team in V.League”, Captain Hoang Van Khanh emphasized.

With the current situation, The Cong Viettel is considered to be slightly better and has the ability to win. However, if Song Lam Nghe An can tighten their discipline and make good use of counter-attacks, they can still think of a positive result.