Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
Cong An
Buriram United
The first leg of the ASEAN Club Championship final series kicks off on Wednesday at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, where local side Cong An will face off against Buriram United. Here’s a betting tip for this clash with a solid chance of success.
Match preview
During the group stage of the ASEAN Club Championship, Vietnamese side Cong An delivered a flawless performance, not dropping a single point. Over five matches, they claimed the maximum haul, boasting a goal difference of 15:6. They finished five points ahead of their main chasers, Buriram United. In the semifinals, Cong An came out on top against PSM Makassar over two legs.
In their last outing in the Vietnamese top flight (V.League 1), Cong An played out a goalless draw at home against fellow table contenders Hong Linh Ha Tinh. After 21 matches, the team sits fifth in the standings with 33 points, just three points shy of the medal zone.
Buriram United enjoyed a brilliant domestic campaign, ultimately clinching the championship title by edging out main rivals Bangkok United by just a single point. However, the season's finale was nerve-wracking for fans: two straight defeats before the final round threatened to derail their title hopes. Nevertheless, Buriram came out highly motivated in the decisive clash against Nong Bua and left no doubt, hammering their opponents 7-0.
In the ASEAN Club Championship group stage, Buriram United finished runners-up, trailing Cong An by five points. In the first leg of the semifinals, Buriram secured a 3-1 home win over Pathum, while the return leg ended goalless (0-0). The team also put in a respectable showing in the AFC Champions League, reaching the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, they couldn't avoid a heavy defeat at the hands of the eventual champions Al-Ahli, who cruised to a 3-0 win.
Probable line-ups
- Cong An: Do, Giap, Gomez, Ha, Hoang, Pham, Vitao, Nguyen, Phan, Nguyen, Le
- Buriram United: Butprom Ch., Boakye M., Haiprakhon S., Ko Myung-Sok, Maikami R., Rattanasuwan N., Steven Berg A., Sukjitthammakul P., Dougall C. (c), Kols D., Causic G.
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the group stage, Cong An beat Buriram at home 2-1
- Only one of Cong An’s last five matches saw both teams score
- Both teams to score has not landed in any of Buriram United’s last six matches
Prediction
Despite recent stats for both teams, we expect goals at both ends here. Bookmakers slightly favor the visitors, but there’s no guarantee that Buriram will play for a win at all. Our tip: ‘Both teams to score’ at odds of 1.60.
