Despite many objective difficulties over the past time, the Russian team still maintains the 33rd position in the FIFA rankings. Even without Golovin and some stars, the Russian team is still very strong.
Meanwhile, the ranking of the Vietnamese team is still far behind its opponent at position 115. This is still a preliminary way to evaluate the capacity of a national team.
Head coach Valery Karpin has often used a 4-3-3 formation. They have two central midfielders who are high up and ready to support the attack.
On the contrary, there is a midfielder who is considered the “anchor” to ensure the safety of the Russian team. The players have more or less shone and are still famous, they are more than enough to make Vietnam and Thailand tired.
It must be affirmed that the Russian team takes this tournament very seriously. They brought to Vietnam a fairly high-quality squad, including Musayev, Konstantin or Kuzyaev... However, the weather factor is also a story that Mr. Valery Karpin is worried about.
On the Vietnamese team side, coach Kim Sang-sik has his own calculations. Except for goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, who was given the opportunity to play against Russia, the remaining players must compete fiercely for a starting position.
In defense, Que Ngoc Hai marked his return and he can command the defense with his juniors like Nguyen Duc Chien or Nguyen Thanh Chung. This is almost mandatory for the Vietnam team at this time.
Meanwhile, the pair of full-backs Phan Tuan Tai and Pham Xuan Manh will ensure the home team's attack and defense.
In addition, in the front line, coach Kim Sang-sik will reinforce the "cannon" of the Vietnamese team. If choosing the 3-4-3 tactical formation, the personnel in the midfield of the Vietnamese team will be very different. The most suitable pair of midfielders is likely to be Nguyen Hoang Duc and Do Hung Dung.
On the attack line, Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Van Tung or Nguyen Quang Hai are ready for the match and they can provide many flexible options on the field.
But before thinking about the attacking front or further, a goal, the Vietnamese team must at least have a solid defense. Only when standing firm for a long enough time, will the counter-attack opportunity come to the Vietnamese team.
Expected lineup:
Vietnam team: Dang Van Lam, Phan Tuan Tai, Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Nguyen Duc Chien, Pham Xuan Manh, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Quang Hai, Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Tien Linh.
Russian team: Matvey Safonov, Danil Krugovoy, Ruslan Litvinov, Evgeny Morozov, Aleksandr Silyanov, Daler Kuzyaev, Lechi Sadulaev, Danil Prutsev, Sergey Pinyaev, Tamerlan Musayev, Konstantin Tyukavin.
