Hà Nội FC – Thanh Hóa: A showdown between two struggling teams

Starting the 2025 - 2026 V-League season with disappointing winless streaks, Hà Nội FC and Thanh Hóa have both fallen to the bottom of the table, facing heavy pressure from their supporters.

For Hà Nội FC, the season began badly with an early exit from the National Cup. In the V-League, the team is still searching for its first victory. They are currently going through a very difficult phase, having only secured 2 points and sitting in 11th place after 4 rounds.

This is the first time in 10 years that the capital’s team has accumulated such a low point total. The pressure is something that interim coach Adachi and the players are clearly feeling at this moment.

Đông Á Thanh Hóa is in an even worse position, currently second from the bottom. The Thanh Hóa team has shown poor form after losing many quality players during the 2025 summer transfer window.

After 4 rounds, Thanh Hóa has the worst attacking record in the league with only 3 goals scored. Conversely, their defense ranks among the bottom three, having conceded 8 goals (tied with Becamex TP Hồ Chí Minh and PVF-CAND). Given their performance, coach Choi Won Kwon’s squad is under significant pressure.

A victory against Hà Nội at Hàng Đẫy would solve many problems for Thanh Hóa. It would improve their ranking and boost morale after their poor start in this V-League season. However, Quế Ngọc Hải and his teammates face a tough challenge since the home team’s desire to win is also very strong.

Besides the technical aspects, backstage controversies have made Thanh Hóa’s situation even more difficult.

In the previous round, after replacing head coach Yusuke Adachi, Hà Nội FC played very hard but missed chances and lacked luck, resulting in a draw with Thể Công Viettel. On the positive side, the Hàng Đẫy team showed good form, but Văn Quyết and his teammates need a win to lift their spirits. Hosting Thanh Hóa is an ideal opportunity to achieve that goal.

Hà Nội FC’s head-to-head record against Thanh Hóa is also very favorable. In the last 10 official matches, Hà Nội FC lost only once, won 5 times, and drew 4. Their most recent encounter at Hàng Đẫy ended with a 3-1 victory for Hà Nội FC.

In this match, Hà Nội FC will be without center-back Nguyễn Thành Chung due to suspension after accumulating 3 yellow cards this season. His absence will certainly impact Hà Nội FC, especially as the team needs to focus on attacking against Thanh Hóa.

The match between Hà Nội FC and Thanh Hóa will kick off at 7:15 PM on September 26. The game promises to be thrilling as both teams must secure a win to move away from the bottom of the standings.

Projected starting lineups for both teams

Hà Nội FC: Văn Chuẩn, Văn Xuân, Adriej, Duy Mạnh, Văn Nam, Công Nhật, Hùng Dũng, William, Tuấn Hải, Văn Quyết, Daniel Passira

Thanh Hoá: Y Eli Nie, Thái Bình, Quế Ngọc Hải, Mboji, Văn Lợi, Thái Sơn, Văn Thuận, Ngọc Hà, Rimario, Ribamar, Abdurakhmanov