Round 8 of the V-League: The competition grows increasingly thrilling

Viettel’s surprising defeat to HAGL, combined with Ninh Binh’s continued strong performance, has made the title race more uncertain.

The Viettel Football Club is showing remarkable form, holding second place on the standings and remaining unbeaten through seven rounds (4 wins, 3 draws). It seemed that with such momentum, Coach Popov’s team would easily overpower the bottom-ranked HAGL, who had scored only one goal in six matches and were yet to win. However, at their most confident moment, Viettel faltered in a surprising twist: conceding two goals (Jairo at 25 minutes and Ryan Ha at 61 minutes) and only managing a late consolation goal at 90+11 minutes by Lucao.

Despite the loss, Viettel still holds second place. However, they missed the chance to close the gap with league leaders Ninh Binh. Behind them, the team risks being overtaken by CAHN and CATP.HCM, who face each other on October 27. What seemed like a secure position suddenly became shaky for Coach Popov’s squad after the eighth round!

The top group has become crowded and promises even more exciting competition following victories by Hai Phong and Hanoi clubs. Hai Phong extended their winning streak with an impressive 2-1 comeback against HL Ha Tinh. This win brings the port city team to 14 points, matching the top three teams (14-15 points). Hai Phong’s tough playing style might make them an interesting spoiler in this season’s title race.

Hanoi FC remains in sixth place with 11 points. However, the gap to break into the top three is not large (3-4 points). Therefore, with recent positive signs, Hanoi FC is fully capable of strongly competing with rivals in the top group battle.

In the relegation battle, Dong A Thanh Hoa secured their first valuable win against SLNA. This victory temporarily places Thanh Hoa ahead of Nghe An on the standings. HAGL also escaped the bottom spot by winning impressively over Viettel Football Club.

SHB Da Nang currently sits at the bottom and will play against Thep Xanh Nam Dinh on the afternoon of October 27. Similar to the top group, the bottom group is also fiercely contested with teams closely packed together.