Pre-match information
Thep Xanh Nam Dinh Club will host Hong Linh Ha Tinh at Thien Truong Stadium in round 13 of the V.League. The home team needs points to improve their position, while the away team aims to maintain stability in the middle group of the rankings.
After 12 rounds, Nam Dinh disappointed greatly when they only had 11 points and ranked 9th. The gap with the top group has widened, making it difficult to defend the title. The draw with Dong A Thanh Hoa in the previous round shows that the biggest problem of the Nam team is the finishing efficiency and instability in the playing style.
Under coach Mauro Jeronimo, Nam Dinh still maintains an attacking style based heavily on Xuan Son and foreign players in attack. But the defensive system is still a weakness when they often push up the squad and leave space behind.
In the opposite direction, Hong Linh Ha Tinh maintained a disciplined and pragmatic team. Coach Nguyen Cong Manh's team ranked 7th with 16 points, exceeding expectations compared to the set target.
Despite losing some key players in the transfer window, Ha Tinh still maintained a solid defensive framework. In the front line, Viktor Le took on the role of organizing the play, while Mbo Noel was the spearhead to take advantage of counter-attack situations.
The familiar scenario could be repeated when Nam Dinh controlled the ball more, while Ha Tinh actively retreated deep and waited for an opportunity. Long passes from the opponent's lower line could become a decisive factor if the home team's defense continued to push high.
Nam Dinh needs a victory to end the series of bad matches before the Tet holiday, but the match is predicted to be not easy. The difference is likely to come from the individual moments of the home team's strikers in a tight match.
