Three yellow-shirted teams toppled the V-League giants in round 13

The three leading teams chasing the title, Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel among them, surprisingly lost to teams barely surviving relegation in round 13 of the 2025/26 V-League.

Before the Lunar New Year break of Binh Ngo 2026, round 13 of the V-League delivered highly unpredictable outcomes, notably including brave victories from lower-ranked clubs against major opponents.

The opening shock was Ninh Binh’s 1-2 defeat to HAGL. The two teams started with a vast difference in form and squad strength. Ninh Binh had been unbeaten for 11 straight matches, with 8 wins, only recently losing their first game to CAHN in round 12. Meanwhile, HAGL had just 2 wins and 5 losses so far this season, often struggling near the bottom of the table. In terms of personnel, HAGL had only one recognized "star" player, Trung Kien, compared to Ninh Binh’s lineup filled with national team members and quality foreign players.

Nevertheless, playing away, the Mountain Town players showed incredible resilience with disciplined, tight defense. Minh Tam’s goal in the 12th minute boosted the visitors’ morale. In the second half, Ninh Binh equalized through Geovane, but thanks to persistent counterattacks, Marciel sealed the win for HAGL.

On February 8th, a similar scenario unfolded at Thong Nhat and Hang Day stadiums, where the home teams both suffered defeats.

Thanh Hoa traveled to face Ho Chi Minh City Police FC in a dire situation with only 14-15 players available. However, the Thanh Hoa players started confidently and managed to score an early opener by Damoth Thongkhamsavath. Even after being equalized, coach Mai Xuan Hop’s squad showed great determination and fighting spirit, and at the 76th minute, the Lao international scored again, securing a valuable 3 points for Thanh Hoa.

Meanwhile, at Hang Day, the young SLNA team under coach Van Sy Son handed The Cong Viettel their heaviest defeat of the season with a 4-1 scoreline. The home side usually dominated play but surprisingly conceded an early goal in the 3rd minute. Though they quickly equalized, defensive errors in the second half proved costly. Olaha’s two penalty goals and Moore’s stunning chip secured a comprehensive win for the Nghệ An club.

The round 13 results did not drastically change the standings for Ninh Binh, The Cong Viettel, or Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, but lifted HAGL, SLNA, and Thanh Hoa out of the "danger zone" (moving up to 8th, 9th, and 10th respectively). This will certainly boost all three teams and add more excitement to Vietnam’s top professional football league in the upcoming period.