Van Lam keeps a clean sheet, Muangthong wins again in Thai League

Goals: Dangda 42', Heberty 57'

Before hosting Sukhothai, Muangthong had gone eight consecutive rounds without a win in the Thai League, losing six of them. This poor result saw Muangthong sink to the bottom of the table and was one of the biggest surprises of the first leg.

The pressure was on Muangthong players as well as coach Yoon Jong Hwan, who is at risk of being fired. However, the tense atmosphere was somewhat dispelled when Muangthong ended their winless streak against Sukhothai, in which goalkeeper Van Lam contributed by keeping a clean sheet. This was also the third match Van Lam did not concede a goal this season.

The home team showed their determination right from the opening whistle as they pressed Sukhothai throughout the first half. A few minutes before the break, captain Teerasil Dangda opened the scoring with a close-range header from a cross from the left wing.

While Sukhothai had not yet found a way into Muangthong's goal, they conceded a goal at the beginning of the second half. Heberty accelerated and powerfully shot through the legs of the away team's goalkeeper. Leading by two goals, Muangthong proactively slowed down the match's tempo and did not give Sukhothai a chance to threaten Van Lam's goal.

The victory over Sukhothai helped Muangthong escape the bottom position of the table. Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam also had a successful match before joining the Vietnam team for the King's Cup 2019.