Both HAGL and Hai Phong, having suffered heavy defeats in their opening matches, were determined to secure their first win of the season in the game at Pleiku Stadium.

Besides home advantage, the "mountain town team" also had a morale boost, having won three and drawn one of their last five matches against Hai Phong.

Heavy rain before the match left Pleiku Stadium waterlogged and muddy. Both teams opted for a long-ball attacking style, waiting for opportunities from set pieces.

In the 10th minute, from a left-wing corner, Ha Chau Phi headed the ball, assisting young forward Tran Gia Bao, who scored with a close-range header into Hai Phong's net, opening the scoring for HAGL.

However, just 8 minutes later, from a scramble, forward Ho Minh Di (11) unleashed a shot from just outside the penalty area, sending the ball curving into the top corner to equalize 1-1 against HAGL.

Towards the end of the first half, HAGL had another chance when Robson Alves Reis skillfully navigated the penalty area and fired a diagonal shot, but the ball hit Hai Phong's post.

At the start of the second half, as HAGL pushed forward for a goal, their defense made a mistake. In the 49th minute, from Joel Tagueu's tight-angle effort, goalkeeper Trung Kien reacted slowly and failed to collect the ball. Milan Markaric immediately rushed in to tap in the rebound, increasing the score to 2-1 for the port city team.

The home team then launched relentless attacks, creating numerous opportunities but failing to beat goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan. The ball also hit Hai Phong's crossbar twice.

In the 82nd minute, after a scramble, substitute Nay Di Dan found the net past goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after the referee consulted VAR.

In the 84th minute, Nguyen Thanh Nhan skillfully handled the ball, leading to Nguyen Vu Tuan of Hai Phong committing a foul inside the penalty area. Initially, head referee Vo Hoai Thuong awarded the home team a penalty. However, as the home player prepared to take the kick, Mr. Hoai Thuong received a signal from VAR, informing him that the HAGL player was offside before the foul occurred, leading to the penalty being overturned.

The home team's challenging match concluded in the 90+2 minute when goalkeeper Trung Kien rushed out to clear the ball, only for it to hit Milan Markaric's foot. The ball rebounded, allowing the visiting forward to easily score into an empty net, sealing a 3-1 victory.

After two rounds, HAGL has suffered two heavy defeats. In their opening match, they lost 0-4 at Nam Dinh's stadium.

Duc Dong