After winning the right to enter the knockout round, Hanoi Police became the only Vietnamese team still participating in the continental arena. With a deep force and experienced coaching staff, the Police sector team aims to go further in the AFC Champions League Two this season.
The 6-1 victory over Tampines on February 4 at the C1 Southeast Asian Cup helps the spirit of Hanoi Police to rise. However, that result does not reflect the entire danger of the Singaporean representative, especially when the two teams meet in the Asian arena, where Tampines once surprised opponents who are rated higher.
In the AFC Champions League Two group stage, Tampines overcame strong opponents such as Pathum United (Thailand) or Pohang Steelers (Korea). This team often chooses a tight defensive style, giving up ball control and waiting for counter-attack opportunities. The 1-0 victory over Pohang even though they only held the ball for about 25% is clear evidence of that approach.
On the side of Hanoi Police, the performance of this team is showing signs of stabilizing again with 2 consecutive victories - something they had not done in the previous 4 months. Although not using the strongest squad in the recent victory over Tampines, Hanoi Police still showed a very good ability to take advantage of opportunities.
The presence of the foreign player pair Alan Grafite - Leo Artur, combined with the breakthrough ability of Dinh Bac, Quang Hai,... is expected to help Hanoi Police put strong pressure on Tampines Rovers. Playing at Hang Day Stadium, the police team is likely to proactively push up the attack, setting a goal to win, even creating a large gap before the second leg in Singapore.
However, in this reunion, Tampines is predicted to play more cautiously and determinedly. This may cause Hanoi Police to have many difficulties in imposing the game and creating a large victory.
Score prediction: Hanoi Police 1-0 Tampines Rovers
