Vietnam vs Russia

My Dinh National Stadium forms the backdrop for the first-ever friendly meeting between Vietnam and Russia.

Vietnam’s hopes of securing their first-ever World Cup qualification ended in the second stage as they finished third in Group F after losing four of their six qualifying games (W2). A dismal 3-1 defeat at Iraq last time out sealed the Vietnamese’s faith, deepening the crisis within the Golden Star Warriors camp. Kim Sang-sik’s men have ominously lost eight of their nine previous internationals ahead of this match (W1), conceding multiple goals on seven occasions. If it’s any consolation, Vietnam got the better of the Philippines 3-2 in their last home outing, halting a disappointing streak of four successive home losses ‘to nil’ beforehand. They’ll need to defy the odds in Hanoi this week to post back-to-back home victories for the first time since September 2023.

Meanwhile, Russia’s ban from European competitions and major international tournaments for their ongoing invasion of Ukraine has condemned the ‘Sbornaya’ to low-profile friendlies. But they’ve excelled in exile, winning three straight matches ahead of this trip by 4+ goals ‘to nil,’ including a 4-0 thumping of Belarus last time out. That same scoreline saw the Russians thrash Serbia in March, largely thanks to a quick-fire start. Indeed, Valery Karpin’s side netted 2+ first-half goals in each game during that three-match winning run, highlighting the potential for plenty of early action. In the past 12 months, Russia have only lost one of their eight internationals (W4, D3), and it’s part of the reason they come into this clash as huge favorites.