Vietnam will be out to rewrite the record books when they take on China in the third round qualifiers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup tomorrow night at the Sharjah Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
It will be the third match for Vietnam following their 3-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening Group B tie in Riyadh before conceding a close 1-0 loss to Australia in Hanoi.
Vietnam had never beaten China before in their last six encounters and striker Nguyen Tien Linh will be savouring the opportunity to change those statistics.
“I think we don’t need to worry about the statistics because things change through time. It is true that we have never beaten China in a full international, but that is not the story at this moment,” said Tien Linh to AFC.com.
“After two losses, China are also under pressure to keep their chances alive in Group B. They are ranked higher than Vietnam so the pressure is definitely on them.
“They have not scored in their first two matches but upfront Wu Lei can be very dangerous, so our defence must remain focused.”
China had started their campaign in Group B with a 3-0 loss to Australia before conceding a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Japan. Both matches were played in Qatar.
“We always prepare thoroughly for each game and play with the highest competitive spirit. The Vietnamese fans expect us to finish in the top three of Group B and, while this is difficult, nothing is impossible. We will never give up!” he added.
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