Hanoi: The eagerly anticipated semi-final second leg of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ clash between Công An Hà Nội FC and PSM Makassar is set to take place on Wednesday at Hang Day Stadium.
Visitors PSM hold a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg, thanks to Yuran Fernandes’ header in the 80th minute after Reza Arya Pratama had brilliantly kept out Alan Grafite’s penalty earlier in the match.
However, since then Công An have been unbeaten in the domestic league beating the likes of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) and SHB Da Nang in V.League 1 while knocking out Haiphong in the Vietnamese Cup quarter-finals.
Despite the return to form, head coach Alexandre Polking will have selection headaches for this match with Alan limping off in their league win against HAGL and remains a doubt, adding to the injury woes which already includes his compatriot Leo Artur and Nguyen Dinh Bac.
With attacking options now limited, Công An fans will look towards the likes of Nguyen Quang Hai, Le Van Do and Phan Van Duc to provide the spark in this crucial match.
The Vietnamese side will also be boosted by the fact that they have won all their Shopee Cup home matches at Hang Day Stadium so far, with victories over Buriram United, Lion City Sailors and Borneo FC Samarinda in the group stage.
PSM, on the other hand, will come into this match on a contrasting form having failed to win their previous two Liga 1 games, including a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Bali United – a side who were winless in seven matches prior to that.
Fernandes and Nermin Haljeta have scored two of the most recent goals for the club and the duo will be key again for Bernardo Tavares’ side at either end of the pitch.
PSM’s most recent visit to Vietnam had ended in a 3-0 loss at the hands of Haiphong in the AFC Cup in 2023, and the Indonesian side will be desperate to avoid the same fate on Wednesday.
They landed in Vietnam on Sunday and conducted their first training session on Monday night to acclimatise to the humid weather conditions in Hanoi.
The stage is set for a crunch semi-final with both teams aiming to reach the final in the inaugural edition of the Shopee Cup to have a shot at ultimate glory next month.
Công An Hà Nội FC vs PSM Makassar
Venue: Hang Day Stadium, Vietnam
Kick-off: 30 April, 7:30 PM (Local Time)
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