HAGL narrowly defeats Nam Dinh, temporarily escapes danger on V-League standings

HAGL secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nam Dinh in round 18 of V-League 2025/26, temporarily moving out of the danger zone.

Right after the opening whistle, both teams started openly. In the 6th minute, Nguyen Xuan Son had a speedy dribble on the flank but his shot was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, HAGL also created pressure early with a goal-scoring situation in the 15th minute, but the goal was not recognized due to a handball foul by Washington Brandao Batista.

The stalemate continued until the end of the first half. The turning point came right at the start of the second half, when Nam Dinh's defense lacked focus. In the 46th minute, Batista utilized a favorable pass, accelerated, and finished neatly, opening the score for HAGL.

After conceding, Nam Dinh pushed forward seeking opportunities. In the 57th minute, Caio Cesar nearly created a masterpiece with a long-range shot that hit the post. The visitors' efforts were rewarded in the 72nd minute, when Ly Cong Hoang Anh unleashed an extremely powerful shot from a chaotic situation, equalizing the score 1-1.

The match heated up in the 80th minute with a controversial incident. Quang Kiet pulled Xuan Son inside the penalty area, but after consulting VAR, the referee decided not to award a penalty to Nam Dinh.

The drama peaked in the 81st minute. Once again, a mistake in Nam Dinh's defense cost them. The ball reached Ngoc Lam's feet and this player launched a quick shot from distance. Goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh handled it unsafely, allowing HAGL to seal a 2-1 victory.

With this win, HAGL temporarily escaped the danger group, climbing to 11th place with 18 points, 6 points ahead of the bottom team PVF-CAND.

The match ended. Nam Dinh 1-2 HAGL

81': GOAL!!!! 2-1 FOR GIA LAI

Nam Dinh's defense made another mistake. The ball came to Ngoc Lam and he decided to fire a quick shot from quite a distance. Nguyen Manh was somewhat careless by not retreating to catch the ball. HAGL increased the score to 2-1.

80': NO PENALTY

Quang Kiet had a pulling incident against Xuan Son inside the penalty area. However, after VAR intervention, the referee decided there was no penalty.

72': GOAL!! 1-1 FOR NAM DINH

From a rather chaotic situation near HAGL's goal area, Ly Cong Hoang Anh unleashed an extremely powerful shot that left Trung Kien just watching.

57': DANGER

Caio Cesar just fired a dangerous low shot from very far out, but the ball hit the post and went out. Very unfortunate for the home team.

55': SOLID DEFENSE

After scoring the lead at the end of the first half, HAGL played solid defense right from the first minutes of the second half.

46': GOAL!!! 1-0 FOR HAGL

Nam Dinh's defense played loosely, Batista received a teammate's pass then dribbled speedily before unleashing a sharp shot to beat Nguyen Manh.

42': NOT SUCCESSFUL

Van Vi had a good pass for Ngoc Son to tap inside but it didn't work.

29': DANGER

Ngoc Son decided to fire a low shot from quite far from the goal. The ball's force was quite good but couldn't surpass Trung Kien.

24': INACCURATE

Thanh Nhan controlled the ball once then decided to fire a long-range shot but the ball lacked accuracy.

15': HANDBALL

From a corner kick, HAGL had a close-range combination. However, in the final moment, Batista let the ball touch his hand before going into Nguyen Manh's net. The goal was not awarded to HAGL.

6': NOT SUCCESSFUL

Xuan Son dribbled speedily up the flank and unleashed a shot but it didn't succeed; he had bypassed both HAGL defenders.

1': The match begins

Starting lineup

When is Nam Dinh vs HAGL, where to watch live?

• Time: 18:00 today, April 11
• League: V-League 2025/26
• Venue: Thien Truong Stadium, Ninh Binh
• Live on: F PT Play

To help viewers follow easily, we will update detailed developments and the match result between Nam Dinh and HAGL through this article.

Expected lineup Nam Dinh vs HAGL

• Nam Dinh:Nguyen Manh, Hong Duy, Tuan Duong, Van Toi, Van Vi, Van Kien, Arnaud Rene, Caio Cesar, Van Vu, Akolo, Xuan Son.
• HAGL:Trung Kien, Quang Kiet, Jairo, Anh Tai, Du Hoc, Thanh Son, Hoang Minh, Thanh Nhan, Marciel, Vinh Nguyen, Conceicao.

Analysis Nam Dinh vs HAGL: Difficult for the visitors

Nam Dinh FC is truly "transforming" at the crucial stage of the season under coach Vu Hong Viet. Winning all 5 recent matches not only helped them strongly improve their standings position, but also propelled Nam Dinh into the top 6 with high confidence.

The biggest highlight in this flourishing streak is the return of Xuan Son. This striker is playing the "trigger" role in the attack with his goal-scoring and breakthrough ability, keeping opponents' defenses always on alert. When Xuan Son is in top form, Nam Dinh's play becomes direct, effective, and extremely unpredictable.

In complete contrast, Hoang Anh Gia Lai is still struggling in crisis. The Mountain Town team continued to disappoint by losing to Ninh Binh FC in their latest match, extending their poor streak. Issues in both attack and defense remain unresolved, preventing HAGL from escaping the danger group.

Not only is their form declining, HAGL's squad is also significantly affected as Vo Dinh Lam and Phuoc Bao are absent due to suspension. These are both important elements in coach Le Quang Trai's system, and this shortage will certainly make the visitors even more challenged when playing away at Thien Truong Stadium.

Considering all aspects from form, squad to home advantage, Nam Dinh holds a clear advantage. With their current momentum, the possibility of the Nam team securing another victory is entirely feasible, even potentially a convincing win.

For HAGL, the most realistic goal might only be securing 1 point. However, facing a Nam Dinh that is "in form," this will be an extreme challenge for the Mountain Town team. If they don't improve defensive solidity, the risk of returning empty-handed is entirely possible.

Notable statistics before the Nam Dinh vs HAGL match

• Nam Dinh won their last 5 matches
• HAGL won 1, drew 1, lost 3 in their last 5 matches
• In the last 5 encounters, Nam Dinh has 2 victories, HAGL has none