Philippines U23 vs Vietnam U23 Preview and Betting Tips - Open Asian Games Contest to Offer Goals

Tolu Shotade

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Last updated: Wed 16 Sep 2026 10:21

Tolu Shotade 3 hours ago

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Both Philippines U23 and Vietnam U23 likely to score in an open encounter.
Vietnam hold a strong head-to-head record with four wins and one draw from last five meetings.
Philippines seeking redemption after heavy defeat; Vietnam looking to build on their opening draw.

Nguyen Thanh Nhan #22 of Vietnam celebrates a goal with teammates (Getty Images)

Philippines U23 vs Vietnam U23 Asian Games Preview
Key Stats
Upper Hand for Vietnam
Philippines Keen to Bounce Back
Promising Start for Vietnam
Team News & Predicted Line-ups

Philippines U23 vs Vietnam U23 Asian Games Preview

Philippines and Vietnam will be looking to jump-start their campaign in the football event at the Asian Games when they meet in their second Group C clash.

Both teams will be fired up for this one, and with neither defence convincing at the moment, goals can be expected here.

Key Stats

Philippines U23 have scored in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Philippines U23 have conceded in four of their last eight matches in all competitions.
Vietnam U23 have scored in seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Vietnam U23 have conceded in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

Upper Hand for Vietnam

Vietnam have the upper hand in this fixture, earning four wins and playing out one draw in the last five matches against Philippines. They claimed a 2-1 victory in the Asian U23 Championship semi-final last year.

Philippines Keen to Bounce Back

Philippines made a disappointing start to their Asian Games campaign, suffering a 5-1 defeat to Uzbekistan. They were no match for the superior quality of their rivals, with Joshua Merino’s effort midway through the second half proving to be a mere consolation.

Manager Garrath McPherson will be disappointed that his team suffered a total capitulation following the second-half red card to Gavin Muens. Their task on Friday will be to set things right and get their campaign back on track.

Philippines were far too exposed at the back in their opening fixture and have conceded in four of their last eight matches in all competitions. However, they often show some attacking quality, scoring in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

Promising Start for Vietnam

Vietnam are coming off a 1-1 draw with Kuwait in their opening Group C fixture. They were forced to come from behind, with Ngoc My Nguyen’s effort 10 minutes from time earning them a share of the spoils.

Manager Kim Sang-sik will take the positives as they dominated possession and created multiple scoring opportunities. They will look to build on the performance, and the task on Friday will be to improve their finishing.

Vietnam may have scored just once last time out, but they are usually solid going forward, having found the net in seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions. However, defending remains an issue, with no clean sheet in eight of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions.

Team News & Predicted Line-ups

Philippines (4-1-4-1): Nicholas Guimaraes; Joshua Merino, Scott Woods, John Lucero, Christian Rontini; Sandro Reyes; Brian McManus, Michael Baldisimo, Antoine Ortega, Santiago Rublico; Andres Aldeguer.

Philippines will be without midfielder Muens, who is suspended following his red card in the opening fixture. He is likely to be replaced by McManus while Aldeguer is set to lead the line.

Vietnam (4-1-4-1): Cao Van Binh; Phi Hoang Nguyen, Duc Anh Nguyen, Pham Ly Duc, Pham Minh Phuc; Le Nguyen Hoang; Thanh Nhan Nguyen, Ngoc My Nguyen, Xuan Bac Nguyen, Quoc Viet Nguyen; Le Phat Nguyen.

Vietnam have no injuries or suspensions and could keep faith with much of the team from the opening fixture. Le Phat Nguyen should lead the line once again while Ngoc My Nguyen could earn a start after scoring off the bench.

Verdict

Philippines U23 v Vietnam U23

Philippines and Vietnam will be keen to get their campaign going and are likely to be fired up for this one.

An open contest is expected, and with neither defence looking solid, both teams can be backed to score.

Yes

Both Teams to Score

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Worked as a sports anchor on radio between 2007 and 2012 before switching to television. Tolu was the lead presenter for the Italian Serie A, English Premier League and German Bundesliga on satellite television in Africa and joined SuperSport in 2017. He began writing for freetips.com in 2018 and has a deep knowledge of the African leagues as well as Europe's top 5 leagues including the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Favourite Sports: Football addict with interests in boxing and tennis.