Coach Kim Sang Sik had a smooth debut in front of the home fans at My Dinh Stadium. When the Vietnamese national team had a thrilling comeback and defeated the Philippines in injury time. The pressure has turned into excitement again. The important thing is the opportunity to advance to the second qualifying round, although it still depends on the result of Indonesia. However, on the other side, the Iraqi frontline is too strong. They are the leaders of Group F and are certain to advance to the World Cup 2026 finals. Will the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese national team be able to defeat the West Asian army in the upcoming match?
Expert opinion on the Iraq vs Vietnam match
Recently, Iraq dominated Indonesia with a 2-0 victory. With the home advantage, coach Shin Tae-yong’s players boldly launched attacks to overwhelm the opponents. However, the “West Asian team” remained composed and played with great concentration to neutralize most of the opponent’s attacks. After the first 10 minutes, the Iraqi national team regained their spirit and scored the opening goal. Due to continuous defensive mistakes, Indonesia continued to suffer their second defeat in the final minutes of the match. In the upcoming match, Coach Jesus Casas affirmed that they will not “go easy” on the Vietnamese national team. They hope to continue their recent winning streak to satisfy the fans. Iraq currently has the strongest lineup with key players including Sulaka, Natiq, Rasid, Jasmin, and Ayman.
Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players thrilled the fans by defeating the Philippines with a closely fought 3-2 score. At the beginning of the match, the foreign players of the Philippines continuously pressed the Vietnamese goal and successfully opened the scoring to the surprise of the Vietnamese national team. Conceding a goal woke up the Vietnamese players, they pushed up the formation and played aggressively. Both sides fought back and forth to an evenly matched score. In the injury time, the Vietnamese national team scored the final goal to secure a 3-2 victory over the Philippines. Players Tiến Linh and Tuấn Hải helped Vietnam win against the Philippines in a tough battle. In the upcoming match, defender Việt Anh returns to the defense, while Văn Toàn is absent due to a suspension. Coach Kim Sang Sik will make some adjustments to the lineup compared to the previous match. However, key players such as Tiến Linh, Hùng Dũng, and Hoàng Đức will still play prominently. Before the kickoff, the fans of the new coach still hope that the Vietnamese national team can create a miracle. However, considering the balance of power, form, and advantages, it is clear that the “Lions of Mesopotamia” are much stronger.
Odds for the Iraq vs Vietnam match
In the last 5 matches, Iraq has won 4 and only lost 1 match to Jordan with a close score of 2-3. In Group F of the World Cup 2026 second qualifying round, they have secured their ticket to the next round with 5 consecutive victories. In their 5 opening matches, the Iraqi national team scored 13 goals and conceded only 5 times. Meanwhile, Vietnam has only achieved their first victory in the last 5 matches. Our team scored 5 goals while conceding 10 times. Vietnam has only had 1 draw since 2015, with the remaining 4 matches resulting in defeats against Iraq in their recent encounters. Under the leadership of Coach Philippe Troussier, Vietnam suffered two defeats at the hands of Iraq. In addition to the personnel and technical advantages, Iraq also has the support of the home fans. Although Iraq desires to continue their winning streak, they need to preserve their squad for the upcoming important matches. Holding onto their ticket to the next round, the home team does not necessarily need to exert all their efforts for a high-scoring match, and the game is unlikely to reach a 3-goal margin.
Team information for Iraq vs Vietnam
Iraq: Full lineup Vietnam: Van Toan absent, Viet Anh present.
Predicted lineup for Iraq vs Vietnam
Iraq (4-2-3-1): Hachim; Yahya – Sulaka – Natiq – Ali; Al Ammari – Rasid; Jasim – Yussef – Bayesh; Ayman. Vietnam (3-4-3): Van Lam; Duy Manh – Viet Anh – Tien Dung; Tan Tai – Hung Dung – Hoang Duc – Xuan Manh; Quang Hai – Tien Linh – Tuan Hai. Match score: Iraq 2-0 Vietnam Asian handicap: Iraq (-0.75) FT. Over/Under odds: Under (2.5) FT.
