Malaysia vs Vietnam Score Prediction (ASEAN Cup 2026 Semi-Final First Leg): Victory for the Away Team

Let's see the experts' score predictions for the Malaysia vs Vietnam match in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final first leg, scheduled for 20:00 on August 16 (Vietnam time) at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysia vs Vietnam Score Prediction

Malaysia will enter the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final first leg against Vietnam at 8:00 PM on August 16 with home advantage, but the team coached by Tan Cheng Hoe is facing a serious squad problem.

Malaysia qualified for the semi-finals as the second-placed team in Group B, after beating Myanmar 2-1, Laos 4-0, losing to Thailand, and defeating the Philippines 1-0. Notably, they lost only one of four group stage matches and kept clean sheets in their last two games. The decisive goal against the Philippines was scored by Pavithran Gunalan, a 21-year-old player who has emerged as one of the notable discoveries of Harimau Malaya.

However, coach Tan Cheng Hoe is dealing with numerous absences. Midfielder Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal has left the national team to return to the U.S. at the request of his club Sporting JAX. Endrick Dos Santos continues to have knee problems, while Aliff Haiqal Lokman Hakim Lau also suffered an injury in the match against the Philippines. Other players like Engku Nur Shakir and Jimmy Raymond are also unavailable.

Tan Cheng Hoe himself admitted that Malaysia is having problems in midfield, but confirmed that the whole team maintains high morale ahead of the clash with Vietnam. The 58-year-old coach also stated that the home team is in the underdog position and does not feel pressured to win at all costs.

On the other side, Vietnam enters the semi-final in a much more favorable condition. Coach Kim Sang Sik's team topped Group A with 10 points after four matches, including three wins and one draw. Vietnam scored 13 goals and conceded only one, notably a 3-0 victory over Indonesia away from home.

Notably, Vietnam had up to 9 days to prepare for the semi-final, while Malaysia had a denser group stage schedule. Coach Kim Sang Sik also has almost a full squad. Nguyen Van Vi, who had fitness issues, has recovered in time to travel with the team to Malaysia. This allows the South Korean coach to select the strongest lineup.

Nguyen Xuan Son continues to be the biggest threat to Malaysia's defense. The Brazilian-born striker has returned from injury and is playing a central role in Vietnam's attack. Alongside Xuan Son, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quang Hai, Do Hoang Hen, and Nguyen Dinh Bac give Vietnam multiple options to approach the opponent's goal.

Another notable point is that coach Kim Sang Sik has shown quite flexible tactical adjustments in the group stage. After the draw with Singapore, he brought Le Pham Thanh Long into midfield alongside Hoang Duc, thereby giving Hoang Duc more space to utilize his organizational and passing abilities. This approach continued to be effective against Indonesia and Cambodia.

Given the nature of a semi-final first leg, Malaysia will likely prioritize solidity and try to limit Vietnam's attacking power. However, the losses in midfield may make it difficult for the home team to maintain their game plan for 90 minutes.

Thethaovanhoa.vn's score prediction for Malaysia vs Vietnam:

Malaysia 1-2 Vietnam

Predictions from other sports websites

Thethao247: Malaysia 1-2 Vietnam

Bongdaplus: Malaysia 0-2 Vietnam

Expected Lineups for Malaysia vs Vietnam

Malaysia: Ghani, Ahmad, Celvin, Shamsui, Danish, Endrick, Aguero, Haiqal, Sumareh, Paulo Josue, Gunalan.

Vietnam: Lê Giang, Tiến Anh, Thành Chung, Việt Anh, Xuân Mạnh, Văn Vĩ, Tài Lộc, Hoàng Đức, Thành Long, Hai Long, Đình Bắc.