Before Round 4 of the National First Division: Unpredictable

Following a short pause for national team preparations, the First Division will restart amid an unpredictable situation.

First up is the clash at Thong Nhat Stadium between two teams currently sitting near the bottom three: the newcomer Van Hien University (1 point) faces Dong Thap (2 points). In terms of experience, the visitors Dong Thap hold a slight edge, while Van Hien University benefits from home advantage. However, their overall strength does not significantly surpass that of their opponent. Both teams are eager for points in a match where the outcome is hard to predict.

At Ba Ria Stadium, the "Ho Chi Minh City derby" will take place between Ho Chi Minh City FC (5 points) and Ho Chi Minh City Youth (2 points). Based on the first three matches, the team coached by Nguyen Minh Phuong appears stronger both in form (1 win, 2 draws versus 2 draws, 1 loss) and with the home-field advantage.

With the home advantage, can Long An (3 points) stop the leading contender – Truong Tuoi Dong Nai (7 points)? Long An's opponent is an ambitious team. After a slow start in the first two rounds, Dong Nai has gained momentum with a commanding 4-1 victory over the newcomer Xuan Thien Phu Tho. Therefore, even without their key striker Cong Phuong, Dong Nai will certainly aim to secure all three points, boasting a squad with several stars compared to the league average.

Just two seasons ago, Quang Ninh was still competing in the Third Division, while Khanh Hoa played in the V-League, a seemingly vast gap. However, while the coal region representatives have been vigorously rebuilding and climbed two divisions in two years, Khanh Hoa has had to return to the First Division last season due to numerous internal challenges. This promises to be a closely contested match between evenly matched sides.

At Viet Yen Stadium, newcomer Bac Ninh (5 points) – one of three undefeated teams after round 3 – will face Quy Nhon United (4 points), another newcomer but relegated from V.League 1. Overall, Bac Ninh is likely to be slightly favored in this match thanks to their home advantage.

Finally, the "newcomers' derby" at Viet Tri Stadium between Xuan Thien Phu Tho (2 points) and PVF CAND Youth (4 points) is expected to be a well-balanced contest.