In Group F, Malaysia continued to show their strength when they came from behind to defeat Laos 5-1, thereby maintaining their top position with 12 absolute points. Although the Vietnamese team beat Nepal 1-0 at Thong Nhat Stadium, they are still 3 points behind their opponents and are at a big disadvantage due to their 0-4 loss in the first leg.

According to the regulations, if two teams have the same number of points, the head-to-head record will be considered before goal difference, meaning the return match with Malaysia in Binh Duong will be a "life or death" match for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team.

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Thailand made the most impression in the 4th match with a 6-1 victory - Photo: FAT

In Group A, the Philippines beat Timor Leste 3-1 to take the top spot, although they had the same number of points as Tajikistan (10 points), but ranked higher thanks to better goal difference and head-to-head record.

In Group C, Singapore created a big shock when they beat India 2-1 away, thereby keeping their hopes of reaching the finals alive with the same 8 points as Hong Kong (China).

Group D saw Thailand beat Chinese Taipei 6-1 to continue competing for the top spot with Turkmenistan. Meanwhile, in Group E, Myanmar's dream was almost shattered after a 0-3 defeat to Syria.

With the final two decisive matches, Southeast Asia is facing a historic opportunity - but also the fiercest challenge on the journey to conquer the 2027 Asian Cup.

Highlights Vietnam 1-0 Nepal (source: VTV)

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-cho-lat-the-co-dong-nam-a-cang-minh-tranh-ve-asian-cup-2451624.html