3 big players decide the V-League race, without Mr. Hien's team?

Two horse race?

Nam Dinh Blue Steel is obviously considered the number 1 candidate with 2 consecutive championships. Although Nguyen Xuan Son is expected to be absent at least in the first leg, coach Vu Hong Viet still has a very abundant force of both domestic and foreign players.

This is also Nam Dinh's outstanding advantage compared to the rest of the V-League. With 9 foreign players, coach Vu Hong Viet always has many quality replacement options for all 3 lines. A large force and strong finances ensure that Nam Dinh maintains resources for the long-term race.

However, it is no coincidence that experts are predicting that LPBank V-League 1-2025/26 will become more challenging for Nam Dinh. The strongest opponent is none other than Hanoi Police.

Hanoi police always make things difficult for Nam Dinh every time they meet.

In the 2 V-League championship seasons, Nam Dinh often lost to Hanoi Police. Last season, they lost 0-3 in the first leg at Thien Truong, then drew 1-1 in the second leg at Hang Day. In the recent 2024/25 National Super Cup - THACO Cup, Nam Dinh once again lost to Hanoi Police.

This is also the reason why coach Mano Polking is confident that Hanoi Police is stronger than before. Compared to Nam Dinh, Hanoi Police may be weaker in foreign players but are rich in internal strength with outstanding faces such as Nguyen Quang Hai, Phan Van Duc, Nguyen Filip, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh... Their squad is balanced in all three lines, and is playing more and more smoothly under the guidance of the Brazilian coach.

Challenges from The Cong Viettel and Hanoi

The sprint to finish runner-up last season marked a great effort by Hanoi FC after a period of decline and loss of dominance in the V-League. As the most successful team in Vietnamese football, Hanoi FC has always received high praise from its opponents.

But in the past 5 years, they have not been able to maintain the prestige that made opponents fear them like before. In terms of force, Hanoi has lost the factors that created the team's attraction as well as its championship qualities, such as Dinh Trong, Doan Van Hau, Viet Anh and especially Nguyen Quang Hai.

Their playing style has become less smooth and unpredictable than before, enough to inspire fans. Van Quyet is still very good but the burden of age prevents him from shining as often as before.

Hanoi FC is in need of a catalyst to explode on the field and off the sidelines.

Frequent changes on the coaching bench, the departure of many long-time players, typically former Chairman Nguyen Quoc Hoi, also show that the internal affairs of Hanoi Club are not as peaceful as they appear. This significantly affects the race on the football field.

In that context, the appearance of new coach Makoto Teguramori is expected to bring Mr. Hien’s team back to a stable orbit. Hanoi then may be strong enough to create a challenge with the two new “players” Nam Dinh and Hanoi Police.

The race for the top of the V-League is also expected to be exciting with another candidate who is "thirsty" for the title, The Cong Viettel. After last season was not really successful, The Cong Viettel has significantly strengthened its force. Their biggest catalyst is coach Velizar Popov, who led Dong A Thanh Hoa to play sublimely in previous seasons.

Watch the LP Bank V.League 1 National Championship 2025/26 live and in full on FPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn