Malaysia have more to their attack than their recent meetings with Vietnam suggest. Arif Aiman and Manuel Hidalgo have been getting the ball into dangerous areas for Bergson, and those routes were visible against both Indonesia and Singapore. Vietnam's comeback against Pakistan relied on changes after the break, while Kim Sang-sik has described a thinner group for this match. I expect Malaysia's current attacking play to matter more than the old scorelines.
The draw with Indonesia was scoreless, but Malaysia created chances from the flanks even before Indonesia went down to ten men. Against Singapore, Hidalgo set up Stuart Wilkin from the left and Aiman won the ball before feeding Bergson for another goal. The six-goal margin included a penalty and late goals; the wide play and quick connection into the box are the parts I take forward.
Vietnam's two wins over Malaysia in August deserve respect, but this is a different match at a neutral ground in Jakarta. Nguyễn Xuân Son is out, and Kim has said muscle problems have left him with fewer options for the second half. Bergson is eligible again for Malaysia, giving their recent attacking combinations a clear focal point.
