Can Ninh Binh Club recover?

Never before has Ninh Binh FC craved a victory as much as they do now. However, the task for coach Vu Tien Thanh is far from simple.

Beware of traps.

In Round 17 of the V-League, at 5 PM on April 5th, Ninh Binh FC will travel to Pleiku to face HAGL. Looking at the lineups and league positions, "The Mountain Goats" are considered the stronger team. But in football, anything can happen. In the first leg, HAGL defeated Hoang Duc and his teammates at Ninh Binh's home ground with a tight, disciplined, and highly effective counter-attacking style of play. Currently, the form of the mountain town team is also slightly better. In their last five matches, HAGL won two, drew one, and lost two, while Ninh Binh FC lost four and only drew one. Notably, even when facing Da Nang FC, a team battling relegation, the team from the ancient capital couldn't secure all three points.

Without Hoang Duc, Ninh Binh Club faces many challenges at Pleiku Stadium.

PHOTO: NINH BINH CLUB

Things are even more difficult for Ninh Binh FC as they are without their captain, Hoang Duc. The midfielder, born in 1998, suffered from overwork, limiting knee joint movement for about half a month. He has been taking medication, undergoing physiotherapy, and doing rehabilitation exercises under the guidance of doctors. In the last 10 matches, Hoang Duc only rested for 45 minutes in the friendly match between the Vietnam national team and Bangladesh, playing the full time in the remaining games.

Ninh Binh FC will have to rely heavily on coach Vu Tien Thanh's understanding of HAGL. If they cannot achieve victory in the mountainous region, the dream of winning a medal could very well vanish after this round.

Will CAHN Club continue its winning streak?

While Ninh Binh FC is struggling to rediscover its form, Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) is demonstrating the destructive power of a top championship contender, having lost only one match so far. This season, CAHN has maintained its impressive attacking strength, scoring 35 goals in 16 matches (the most in the league). At the same time, the team has overcome weaknesses in defense thanks to domestic players like Viet Anh, Dinh Trong, and most recently, Van Hau, who are playing consistently well. Currently, CAHN also boasts the best defense in the league, having conceded only 13 goals. With this form, coach Alexandre Polking's players will secure all three points if they play to their full potential in their match against Da Nang FC at Hang Day Stadium, taking place at 7:15 PM today, April 4th.

If they don't want CAHN FC to "run wild" to the finish line, The Cong Viettel FC cannot afford to stumble in the remainder of the season. The immediate challenge for coach Velizar Popov's team is SLNA. This match will take place at 6 PM on April 5th at Vinh Stadium. The Nghe An team always plays with 200% spirit when facing strong teams, especially at their home ground in Vinh. SLNA's youthful energy and aggressive, physical style of play are enough to cause difficulties for any opponent. Previously, SLNA defeated the military team 4-1 at Hang Day Stadium. Therefore, The Cong Viettel FC needs to be careful and respect their opponent, despite their current high form with a streak of 4 consecutive wins, including victories against strong teams like Hai Phong, Hanoi, and Nam Dinh.

Meanwhile, the remaining matches of round 17 could shake up the mid-table group: Hai Phong FC - Hanoi FC (6 PM on April 4th), PVF-CAND FC - Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC (6 PM on April 4th), Ha Tinh FC - Nam Dinh FC (6 PM on April 5th), and Thanh Hoa FC - Ho Chi Minh City Police FC (6 PM on April 5th).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-ninh-binh-co-guong-day-noi-185260403210317831.htm