Pathum United vs Viettel

Thammasat Stadium is the venue as Pathum United and Viettel battle it out for a second place in the AFC Champions League Group F.

The hosts have failed to build on a clear-cut 4-1 victory over Kaya in their tournament opener, losing 2-0 away to Ulsan Hyundai on Matchday 2 as they desperately need all three points to boost their hopes of progressing into the knock-outs. However, the ‘Rabbits’ will have to step up if they are to win here, considering their indifferent form across their last five matches in all competitions (W2, D1, L2). Scoring first might be of help, as eight of their previous nine games won/lost have seen the victor break the deadlock (W7, L2). Pathum United can also find inspiration in their imperious home form that throws their last defeat on home soil back to October 2018. Indeed, they go into this showdown unbeaten in 16 home games on the spin (W13, D3).

Meanwhile, after suffering a 1-0 heartbreak to Ulsan Hyundai on Matchday 1, Viettel picked themselves up to dismantle Kaya 5-0 on the road last time out. A tight loss to Ulsan remains Viettel’s solitary reverse in nine matches across all competitions (W7, D1, L1), a run that saw 75% of the games won/lost yield a single-goal margin. Though this will be only their second competitive away fixture outside Vietnam in over three years, the ‘Red Tornado’ can draw confidence from going unbeaten in their last 11 contests on the road (W9, D1), with six of their nine triumphs in that stretch producing the identical 1-0 scoreline. After bagging a quick-fire double inside the first seven minutes against Kaya last time out, another blistering start is on the cards here.