Vietnam host Russia at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on Thursday for a friendly game at the 2024 LPBank Cup. It's a tri-nation series involving Thailand as the third participants.
Ranked 115th in the world, Vietnam have gone through a rough patch this year, losing seven of their eight official games so far. Their only positive result was against the Philippines, as the Golden Star Warriors won 3-2 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
With the 2024 VFF Tri-Nations Series and 2024 ASEAN Championship coming up, Vietnam will be looking to build some momentum by picking up a pair of wins on home turf.
Head coach Kim Sang-sik has called up 26 players for this month's double-header against Russia and Thailand, including prolific forward Nguyễn Tiến Linh, who has 20 goals in 46 games for the side.
On the other hand, Russia continue to play friendlies since their suspension by FIFA in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. So far this year, the National Team has played against Serbia and Belarus, winning both games 4-0.
Their winning run now stands at three games, having also crushed Cuba in an 8-0 shellacking last year.
Head coach Valery Karpin has summoned 28 players for this month's double-header against Vietnam and Thailand, including Le Havre midfielder Daler Kuzyayev.
Vietnam vs Russia Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the first official meeting between the sides in history.
- Russia have won their last three friendly games, scoring 16 goals and conceding none; their unbeaten run now stands at 11.
- In eight official games this year, Vietnam have lost seven and won just once: a 3-2 win over the Philippines in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- Russia are ranked 33rd in the world, while Vietnam are in 115th place, according to the latest FIFA World Ranking.
Vietnam vs Russia Prediction
Russia clearly have the momentum in their favor, having demonstrated a frightening attacking quality in their recent clashes. Given just how terrible Vietnam have been this year, the National Team could be in for a fourth consecutive win.
Prediction: Vietnam 0-3 Russia
Vietnam vs Russia Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Russia to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No