Song Lam Nghe An - Hanoi FC: Heating Up in the ‘Fiery Cauldron’ of Vinh

SLNA (10 points, 9th place) will welcome Hanoi FC (15 points, 6th place) at Vinh Stadium with the aim of at least securing a draw. In terms of strength and form, the Nghe An squad is considered the underdog compared to the team from the capital.

Under the leadership of coach Van Sy Son, SLNA has only gained 5 points in 5 matches (previously 5 points in 6 games), with their sole victory coming against Becamex Ho Chi Minh City in round 11.

The strong youth infusion helps SLNA maintain passion and fiery spirit, but it also brings a lack of experience. This season, Vinh Stadium is no longer an untouchable fortress as SLNA keeps dropping points at decisive moments.

Currently, the Nghe An team continues to rely on young players, including goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, who recently impressed in the bronze medal match at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship. The fiery spirit and enthusiasm remain strengths of these young players. However, their inexperience at critical moments has caused them to lose favorable results multiple times. Defeats against direct rivals at the lower end of the table like SHB Da Nang and Thanh Hoa have put the Nghe An team in difficulty.

In this 12th round, it is likely that the home team at Vinh will debut their first new signing, French-Vietnamese player Phi Long Karim Tran. Born in 2004, he will help coach Van Sy Son strengthen the squad and provide another option on the right wing, especially with Ho Van Cuong currently injured.

Meanwhile, under new coach Harry Kewell, Hanoi FC seems to have yet to find full stability in recent matches. The recent break and training camp in Thailand are expected to help Hanoi players improve tactical execution and team cohesion.

In this match, Hanoi FC will introduce their new striker David Fisher. The English player has an ideal physique and sharp finishing skills, which will boost the team's strength in the second half of the season.

At present, Hanoi FC is in 6th place with 15 points, 12 points behind V-League leaders Ninh Binh. This gap forces coach Harry Kewell and his team to treat every remaining game as a “final” if they want to stay in the title race.

Securing a full 3 points in Nghe An is not an unrealistic goal for the capital representatives. Hanoi FC’s away form before the V-League break was decent, with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Moreover, in the last 7 away matches against SLNA, the visitors have never been defeated, achieving 5 wins and 2 draws.

The visitors are rated higher, but the home team still has a chance to create an upset thanks to the adaptive tactics of coach Van Sy Son, who has long served as assistant and contributed to training many key players currently at Hanoi FC.

The match between SLNA and Hanoi FC will kick off at 18:00 on January 31. The capital team cannot afford to drop points or they risk bowing out early from the championship race. Will the youth of SLNA or the experience of Hanoi FC prevail?

Projected starting lineups of both teams

SLNA: Van Binh, Khac Ngoc, Van Khanh, Van Cuong, Van Thanh, Reon Moore, Mai Hoang, Quang Vinh, Ba Quyen, Manh Quynh, Olaha

Hanoi FC: Van Hoang, Xuan Manh, Duy Manh, Marlon, Cong Nhat, Van Toan, Hung Dung, Hoang Hen, Van Quyet, Luiz Fernando, Floro