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Vietnam team needs coach Kim Sang-sik's pragmatism to gain points |
Prediction before the match Malaysia vs Vietnam
Tonight, the Vietnamese team will visit Malaysia in the match to decide the top spot in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. In the first match, Vietnam and Malaysia both won. The red team is temporarily in the lead thanks to a higher goal difference.
In this qualifying round, only the group winners will qualify for the finals. In Group F, Malaysia is the main opponent of the Vietnamese team, with Laos and Nepal being much weaker. Therefore, the two matches against the “Malaysian Tigers” will be decisive for the fate of the two teams.
In theory, Malaysia is considered the underdog because Vietnam is the reigning Southeast Asian champion. Moreover, Malaysia has lost 5 consecutive matches to Vietnam in all competitions. However, the “Malaysian Tigers” are determined to change this by massively naturalizing players in recent times. The most notable of these are strikers Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado and Imanol Machuca.
Figueiredo is a Brazilian-born striker who plays for Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish Super League. Last season, he scored 12 goals in 48 appearances for Basaksehir. Holgado and Machuca are both of Argentine descent and play for América de Cali and Vélez Sarsfield respectively.
In addition to adding foreign players, Malaysia also appointed Australian coach Peter Cklamovski to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. All of this promises to create a completely different "Malaysian Tiger" compared to the 2024 ASEAN Cup, a tournament in which they were eliminated from the group stage.
In that situation, the Vietnamese team must be cautious at Bukit Jalil. It would not be surprising if coach Kim Sang-sik uses defensive counter-attack tactics, even though the Vietnamese team is in a higher position and is considered stronger than the home team. After all, this is not a knockout match. The red team still has the second leg at home to solve the problem. Not losing to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil is probably the most practical and suitable goal for the Vietnamese team.
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Cong Phuong's injury leaves coach Kim Sang-sik short of options |
In addition, the Vietnamese team does not have the best "firepower" at this time when Nguyen Xuan Son, Nguyen Van Toan, and Nguyen Cong Phuong are all absent due to injuries. Coach Kim Sang-sik is forced to calculate very carefully when arranging the starting lineup to ensure a good match for the whole team.
Of course, coach Kim Sang-sik's team cannot enter the field with the mentality of playing for a draw, because that would be very dangerous. With the current squad, the Vietnamese team is capable of winning all 3 points at Bukit Jalil with reasonable tactics. In fact, the strength of Malaysia with its new naturalized squad is still a big question mark. These players, many of whom do not share the same language, will need a lot of time to bond and create a true team. This is a weakness that the Vietnamese team can take advantage of to gain an advantage.
Head to head history, form Malaysia vs Vietnam
The Vietnamese team is in extremely good form with a streak of 7 consecutive wins since the ASEAN Cup 2024. Meanwhile, Malaysia has only won 1 out of the last 5 matches.
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Expected lineup Malaysia vs Vietnam
Malaysia: Hazmi, Davies, Haiqal, Saad, Cools, Laine, Hevel, Corbin Ong, Aiman, Morales, Figueiredo.
Vietnam: Dinh Trieu, Xuan Manh, Pendant Quang Vinh, Duy Manh, Van Vi, Van Khang, Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Hai Long, Tien Linh, Tuan Hai.
Score prediction: Malaysia 1-2 Vietnam
Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-dinh-malaysia-vs-viet-nam-20h00-ngay-106-song-sot-tai-chao-lua-bukit-jalil-post1749780.tpo
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