Hoang Anh Gia Lai is currently in 8th place with 21 points, but fans are still unable to rest assured because of their performance. After a big 4-0 victory over Binh Duong in round 16, they lost to Hanoi Police in the next round.
With its strength, the mountain town team is difficult to dispute the highest positions on the rankings. Their most practical goal is to relegation, ending the season in the highest position possible. This is within the ability of coach teachers and coach Le Quang Trai.
As for Hong Linh Ha Tinh, they have only lost 1 match since the beginning of the season, at least in the V.League. Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team always plays very confidently and strongly. However, one of their problems is that they have drawn too many times (13 games), preventing them from reaching higher positions.
Entering the match against Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hong Linh Ha Tinh will suffer a big disadvantage when away from central defender Nguyen Van Hanh and midfielder Tran Dinh Tien due to free cards. Van Hanh is a reliable blocker in the defense, while Dinh Tien is a very active midfielder.
Most likely, Hoang Anh Gia Lai will take advantage of the home field advantage as well as their strength to attack at the head of the opponent. In the most recent match at Pleiku Stadium, Hoang Anh Gia Lai led Binh Duong 2-0 after only 6 minutes of play, thanks to 2 goals from Bao Toan and Brandao.
Although they have not played very impressively since the beginning of the season, Hoang Anh Gia Lai has only lost 1 match at home to Hanoi FC. That is the basis for them to aim to win all 3 points against Hong Linh Ha Tinh, even though coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team has had 2 away wins since the beginning of the season.
Statistics show that in the last 5 meetings, Hong Linh Ha Tinh won 2 matches, lost 1 and drew 2. In the first leg, coach Le Quang Trai's team lost 0-1.
With Hong Linh Ha Tinh's solid playing style and Hoang Anh Gia Lai's not-so-excellent attack, the match at Pleiku is expected to not have many goals. The home team has many opportunities to win but the gap will not be large.
Score prediction: Hoang Anh Gia Lai 2-1 Hong Linh Ha Tinh.
