The V-League relegation battle: Many teams are under intense pressure

With unpredictable developments in recent rounds, LPBank V-League 2025/26 promises many unexpected variables at both ends of the standings. As many as 7-8 teams are straining in the relegation fight.

Looking at the 7 teams in the lower half of the current standings, 5 are from the Central region. For over a decade, Central region teams have been preoccupied with the relegation struggle. This season is no different, with Hong Linh Ha Tinh, HAGL, SLNA, Thanh Hoa, and SHB Da Nang again clustered in the bottom half. The best-performing, Hong Linh Ha Tinh (8th place), has only 20 points; SLNA, HAGL, Thanh Hoa, and SHB Da Nang have 19, 15, 13, and 12 points respectively. The question "when will the glory days return" has long haunted HAGL, SLNA, and SHB Da Nang.

After drawing with HAGL in a "six-point" match, SHB Da Nang has gone unbeaten for three consecutive matches since the league resumed in 2026. This is a positive result for coach Le Duc Tuan and his team, boosting confidence for the relegation battle. Reflecting on recent decent performances, coach Le Duc Tuan stated that in difficult times, the team treats every match as a final and always strives to give their best.

Temporarily escaping the bottom position after being stuck there for so long can be seen as a crucial turning point for SHB Da Nang. Along with successfully registering Do Phi Long (Gustavo), SHB Da Nang has brought in Que Ngoc Hai, Pierre Lamothe, Vo Nguyen Hoang, Lopez Pissano, and Lucas Ribamar, hoping for a genuine transformation of the team.

It can be said that the current squad of SHB Da Nang is not bad, especially the vertical axis after being "reorganized." In reality, the Han River team has performed impressively in the last three matches, both professionally and in spirit. However, for everything to run smoothly, coach Le Duc Tuan needs more time for SHB Da Nang to quickly escape the precarious situation of last season.

Up to now, it can be imagined that PVF-CAND and the five Central region teams will inevitably face an "internal" race in their efforts to stay in the V-League. Although having the most advantage in the group, Hong Linh Ha Tinh must carefully manage each match, because losing points in a few games could change the situation, and the squad may not have enough depth to break through. Similarly, with only 15 points and a very young squad, HAGL cannot rely solely on home advantage or luck to accumulate points and reach the safe zone.

A bit higher up, SLNA also faces many worrying issues as spirit cannot compensate for the lack of match experience among most young personnel. The recent loss to Hanoi FC fully exposed the limitations of the Nghe An team in squad depth. Thanh Hoa currently stands in 12th place with 13 points and feels the increasing heat.

The chance for the Thanh region team to earn points against teams competing for the championship is very low, so they can only hope for clashes with fellow group teams like SHB Da Nang, PVF-CAND, SLNA, and HAGL to find relegation survival opportunities.

Even when "looking sideways" at opponents in the lower half of the standings, difficulties still plague the Thanh region team due to non-professional issues and the departure of numerous key players. At the bottom of the table, PVF-CAND cannot quickly compensate for its youthfulness while the burden on aging foreign players is limited.

To avoid a "long night full of dreams," every team in the relegation battle group must protect themselves and save themselves first. Moreover, the relegation race every year is extremely intense, not only in professional aspects. In reality, given the general personnel level and the small point gaps between teams trailing each other in the bottom group, the situation could change in just a few rounds. At this sensitive moment, any team stable in both squad and tactics will quickly turn the situation to escape danger.