Da Nang Club hopes to stay in the league

If they win 3 points in round 25, Da Nang Club will not only have a chance to escape the bottom 2 positions in the rankings.

The 2-3 defeat of Song Lam Nghe An Club (SLNA) against Nam Dinh in round 24 has made the V-League relegation race more intense. That result also helped Da Nang Club rekindle the opportunity to participate in the most prestigious playground in Vietnam next season.

After 24 rounds, the V-League championship is about to be decided when Nam Dinh FC is firmly in the top position with a gap of up to 5 points compared to the chasing group. In the penultimate round, the team from Thanh Nam only needs to not lose to successfully defend the V-League championship. Therefore, in the race to the finish line, all the focus is on the relegation battle of the bottom group.

Da Nang Club (left) will escape direct relegation if they win the last two rounds. Photo: VPF

SLNA FC is temporarily ranked 11th with 23 points, only 2 points more than Da Nang. These two teams will directly face each other in the final round, at Da Nang's home field on June 22. If they win this "reverse final", the Han River team will avoid direct relegation, rekindling the hope of successful relegation.

However, to realize this goal, Mr. Le Duc Tuan and his team need to maintain stable performance so that SLNA does not increase the point gap after round 25. In this penultimate round, Da Nang Club will face a difficult challenge, having to play away at the home field of Ha Tinh Club - a team that is accumulating maximum points to enter the top 3.

In the first leg match between the two teams in September 2024, Da Nang had a similar force to Ha Tinh but had to accept a 1-3 defeat when hosting the opponent right at home at Hoa Xuan Stadium. At present, coach Le Duc Tuan is always in a state of anxiety due to injury, Da Nang Club often has to play with foreign players since the second leg of the tournament.

If they can get 3 points in round 25, Da Nang FC will not only have a chance to escape the bottom 2 positions in the rankings but also have a chance to stay in the league successfully. However, this is not an easy task for Mr. Le Duc Tuan and his team.

Meanwhile, SLNA Club has an easier time when only hosting Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) in round 25. The Nghe An team had a good performance in the loss to Nam Dinh on May 26. In a situation of "nothing left to lose", SLNA proactively raised the squad to press, confidently playing an open game against an opponent that was considered much stronger. The home field advantage is also a support for SLNA when they only lost to the championship candidates: Nam Dinh, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, The Cong.

In addition, the mountain town team has secured its place in the league and no longer has a goal to compete in the race to the finish line. The 2-2 draw against Da Nang Club on May 23 clearly demonstrated that, when coach Le Quang Trai's team was behind twice by the away team despite playing at home in Pleiku.

During this period, the HAGL coaching staff also regularly created opportunities for reserve players to play in order to increase their exposure and gain experience, thereby reviewing their strength and training the next generation. Therefore, winning against HAGL at Vinh Stadium is not a difficult challenge for Coach Phan Nhu Thuat's team.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/clb-da-nang-nhen-nhom-hy-vong-tru-hang-196250527203257558.htm