Lineup
Pre-match information
The Laos team entered the match against Vietnam cautiously, especially after a 0-5 defeat to Malaysia. At the moment, the team from the land of a million elephants is ranked 3rd in Group F with only 3 points. Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team temporarily ranked second in the group with 9 points.
Playing at home in this round, Laos' most realistic goal is to minimize the number of goals conceded and wait for a chance to create a surprise, although the possibility of winning points against the Vietnamese team is very low.
The head-to-head statistics are not on the home team's side as they have never held Vietnam to a draw, let alone never overcome their opponents. This further puts pressure on the Laos team.
In the opposite direction, the Vietnamese team traveled to Vientiane with an excited mentality. Although Malaysia is at risk of being fined for illegal naturalization, coach Kim Sang-sik still emphasized that the team must decide its own future with victories.
Recently, Malaysia defeated Nepal 1-0 in an early match. Therefore, the Vietnamese team also needs to overcome Laos to continue chasing the opponent before the final rematch taking place next year.
In tonight's match, the Korean coach also received a notable increase in the force when striker Nguyen Xuan Son returned, along with the participation of rookies such as Viet Cuong and Gia Bao, helping the squad to be more diverse in personnel arrangement.
Despite having to play away, Vietnam is still considered superior. The 5-0 victory in the first leg clearly reflects the gap between the two teams, but Tien Linh and his teammates still need to improve their finishing ability and make better use of the opportunities created.
