Nam Dinh’s central defender points out one key fact when facing Malaysia’s top team

At the pre-match press conference before Thep Xanh Nam Dinh’s game against Johor Darul Ta’zim in the ASEAN Club Championship 2025/26 group stage, center-back Lucas Alves confirmed that the Nam Dinh team aims to secure all 3 points despite a packed schedule and limited preparation time.

Match Thep Xanh Nam Dinh versus Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) will take place at 19:30 on February 5th as part of the ASEAN Club Championship 2025/26 at Thien Truong Stadium. During the pre-match press conference, center-back Lucas Alves expressed the determination of the Nam Dinh team.

Lucas Alves acknowledged that fitness is a major challenge given the continuous matches: “Having to play so frequently forces us to focus heavily on recovery, and our training time is limited. Nevertheless, the players fully trust the coaching staff’s guidance.”

Regarding the opponent, the Brazilian defender showed respect for Johor Darul Ta’zim’s player quality and revealed he has experience facing some of their players: “We highly regard the quality of Johor Darul Ta’zim’s players. I have faced some of them before, so I have some understanding of their style of play.”

However, Lucas Alves emphasized that Nam Dinh has reasons to be confident as they currently lead the standings: “It will be a big match, but don’t forget Nam Dinh is at the top of the table. We will focus on our goal, which is to win.”

The defender also spoke about the positive influence of coach Mauro in the locker room, especially in communicating with the foreign players: “Having a coach who speaks the same language helps us a lot. Some foreign players speak English, others Portuguese, and Coach Mauro can speak both. We can clearly understand what he conveys.”

In conclusion, Lucas Alves believes the road ahead remains challenging and requires the team to stay alert: “Every match tells a different story. Everyone wants to be champions, but we must stay focused to perform well in the final group match and then in the semifinals.”

Nam Dinh enters the match with an almost full-strength squad. Meanwhile, JDT also received good news as three naturalized players—João Figueiredo, Hector Hevel, and Jon Irazabal—have had their playing bans temporarily lifted by CAS. This trio played in the 3-0 victory over Shan United on January 29, adding depth to JDT’s squad.

Nam Dinh currently leads JDT by 2 points and needs at least one point in the final match to secure their top position. With home advantage and strong form, coach Mauro’s team is predicted to achieve their objective soon.