In preparation for the Vietnamese national team's participation in the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar from January 12th to February 10th, 2024, the matches of Round 8 of the V-League 2023/24 were moved up to December 26th and 27th.
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| Binh Duong FC players train at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi. (Source: FB) |
In their final match of 2023, reigning champions Hanoi Police, currently on a four-match winless streak, will host Becamex Binh Duong, a club currently sitting in second place with a four-match unbeaten run.
Trailing Binh Duong FC by 7 points in the standings, three points will be a mandatory target for coach Gong Oh Kuyn's team if they don't want to fall further behind their rivals in the championship race.
However, the team from the capital city will be a formidable challenge for the defending champions because in the last two rounds, coach Le Huynh Duc's team has successively defeated both teams in the top 3, Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa.
In addition, Hanoi Police FC will be without the services of central defender Huynh Tan Sinh in the crucial match against Binh Duong.
The list of players suspended for round 8 also includes striker Timite Cheick Aymar (Ho Chi Minh City FC), defender Do Thanh Thinh (MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh), defender Tran Manh Cuong (The Cong-Viettel), and defenders Nguyen Thanh Long and Doan Ngoc Tan (Dong A Thanh Hoa).
Not only are they missing their two defenders, but Dong A Thanh Hoa also suffered a blow to their coaching staff ahead of their away match against Quang Nam in this round, as coach Popov Velizar received a touchline ban after accumulating three yellow cards since the beginning of the season.
In this round, the two remaining teams from the capital, The Cong-Viettel and Hanoi FC, both have away matches: Hoang Duc and his teammates travel to Thien Truong Stadium to face league leaders Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, while Hanoi FC only has to meet bottom-placed LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai in a match at Pleiku Stadium.
The two teams at the bottom of the table, Khanh Hoa and Song Lam Nghe An, will play their match at the 19/8 Nha Trang Stadium; while Ho Chi Minh City FC is expected to extend their unbeaten streak at home at Thong Nhat Stadium against the second-to-last team, Hong Linh Ha Tinh.
In the last match of round 8, the home team Hai Phong (11 points, ranked 6th) will host MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh (13 points, ranked 3rd) at Lach Tray Stadium.
Following their unexpected defeat against newly promoted Quang Nam in the previous round, coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's team will aim to secure all three points at home to overtake their rivals Binh Dinh in the V-League 2023/24 standings.
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| V-League 2023/24 standings after matchday 7. (Source: VPF) |
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| Three players from Binh Duong FC have joined the Vietnamese national team's training camp in preparation for the 2023 Asian Cup. (Source: FB) |
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