After Round 19 of V-League: The Medal Race is Heating Up!

Round 19 of V-League continued to witness thrilling developments at both ends of the standings, as both the championship race and the relegation battle intensified.

Despite playing away at the home ground of Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, CAHN still demonstrated the strength of the top-ranked team with a convincing 3-0 victory. The goals scored by Van Do, Rogerio Alves, and Dinh Bac were evenly distributed across both halves, thereby helping the Capital's team solidify their firm hold on the top position.

Close behind, Viettel also faced difficulty securing a full 3 points when hosting Hoang Anh Gia Lai. The Mountain City team played tightly, defended solidly, and needed only a few opportunities to pose a threat. It was only midway through the second half that the stalemate was broken when Wesley Nata scored from a set-piece situation, securing a minimal 1-0 victory for Viettel.

In the top 3 competition group, Hanoi FC temporarily applied pressure by defeating Becamex Ho Chi Minh City. However, Ninh Bình delivered a strong response by overcoming PVF-CAND with a 3-0 score at home. This match was watched by Coach Kim Sang Sik, and players like Gia Hung, Thanh Trung, and Van Thuan all shone, thereby scoring points in the eyes of the Korean strategist.

The third consecutive victory helped Ninh Bình maintain their 3rd position, while also creating favorable psychological momentum ahead of the direct confrontation with Hanoi FC in Round 20. The race for a medal-winning group thus became even more heated, as the reigning champion Nam Dinh also quietly closed in with a 2-1 victory at SHB Da Nang's ground.

Currently, Nam Dinh has 27 points, equal to Hai Phong but temporarily ranked lower due to a poorer goal difference. The gap between the 3rd and 6th positions is only 10 points while the season still has 7 rounds remaining, making every scenario possible.

At the bottom of the table, the situation is equally tense. SHB Da Nang and PVF-CAND are respectively ranked last and second-to-last but are only separated by 1 point. Meanwhile, the gap between Dong A Thanh Hoa (12) and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City (10) is also less than one win.

Given the current situation, V-League 2025/26 promises many more surprises in the final stretch, as neither the championship race nor the relegation battle has been settled.