Xuan Son's team ended up empty-handed at home due to a masterpiece from HAGL.

Nam Định Steel suffered a disappointing loss, 1-2, to Hoàng Anh Gia Lai in a game where they had previously gained a morale boost from a second-half equalizer.

From the very beginning, Nam Định dominated the game. The mobility of the forward players, especially Xuan Son, who is in top form with 4 goals in the last 3 matches, allowed the home team to continuously apply pressure. However, the opportunities created lacked the necessary sharpness. The finishing attempts by Ngọc Sơn or Văn Vĩ were not sufficiently challenging to overcome goalkeeper Trung Kiên.

Meanwhile, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai proved extremely dangerous with their waiting and counter-attacking style. In the 45+1 minute, from a quick transition situation, Junior capitalized on a defensive mistake by Nam Định to open the scoring with a refined shot that went past goalkeeper Nguyên Mạnh's legs.

Entering the second half, Nam Định pushed their formation higher in search of an equalizer. However, they faced significant difficulties against the tight defensive system of the visiting team. Only in the 72nd minute did the home team's efforts pay off. Taking advantage of an opponent's indecisive clearance, Hoàng Anh decisively finished, bringing the match back to a level score.

Nevertheless, when morale was rising, Nam Định unexpectedly received a "cold shower." In the 83rd minute, Ngọc Lâm from HAGL intercepted a misplaced pass by Nguyên Mạnh before unleashing a classy long-range shot from outside the penalty area. The ball traveled with a dangerous trajectory, surpassing Nguyên Mạnh's reach to raise the score to 2-1 for the visitors.

In the final minutes of the match, Nam Định launched a full-force attack. They had a very clear opportunity in the 77th minute but failed to capitalize, and even did not receive a penalty after VAR intervention in the 79th minute. Meanwhile, HAGL nearly sealed the match in added time when Conceicao's shot hit the post.

This defeat highlights the inefficiency in finishing and individual mistakes that cost Nam Định dearly, despite them controlling the game for most of the time.

V-League Round 18 standings.