Will Ho Chi Minh City FC escape relegation?

In the first leg of this season's match between the two teams, Hanoi easily defeated Ho Chi Minh City FC with a 2-0 scoreline right at Thong Nhat Stadium.

Ho Chi Minh City FC will be playing away at Hang Day Stadium against Hanoi FC at 7:15 PM on May 18th (FPT Play). If they can get points in this match, part of Round 23 of the V-League 2024-2025, the "red battleship" will have a good chance of avoiding relegation.

The defeat against Hai Phong FC in round 22 means that coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team is still unable to escape the relegation zone. The team playing at Thong Nhat Stadium has 25 points after 22 rounds, temporarily ranking 10th in the standings. In the final stretch of the season, Ho Chi Minh City FC will face several strong teams that are desperate for points to compete for both the championship and avoid relegation.

At this point, securing a draw against hosts Hanoi FC is a difficult task. Hanoi FC is currently in second place, 5 points behind Nam Dinh in the standings. The capital city team no longer has control over their own destiny in the championship race, so they are aiming to accumulate as many points as possible in the remaining matches to rekindle any hope of turning the situation around and winning the tournament this season.

Earning a point against hosts Hanoi in round 23 is also a successful result for Ho Chi Minh City FC (left). Photo: VPF

Without a sufficiently high-quality foreign player squad, the challenge of securing points against Hanoi FC becomes a daunting task for Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team. Since the second half of the season, the coaching staff has maximized the available resources, taking risks by promoting young players into the starting lineup, yet Ho Chi Minh City FC has only managed two wins in their last nine matches. With home advantage, Hanoi FC is considered the stronger team compared to Ho Chi Minh City FC. Theoretically, captain Duy Manh and his teammates still have a chance to win the championship, provided they achieve the best possible results in their remaining matches and simultaneously hope that Nam Dinh slips up. Therefore, there's no reason for Coach Makoto's team not to aim for three points when hosting a team considered weaker and currently depleted.

In the first leg of this season's match between the two teams, Hanoi easily defeated Ho Chi Minh City FC 2-0 at Thong Nhat Stadium. The head-to-head history since March 2021 also favors Hanoi, with 7 unbeaten matches, including 6 wins against Ho Chi Minh City FC. With significantly inferior statistics, Ho Chi Minh City FC would consider a draw against Hanoi FC in Round 23 of the V-League 2024-2025 a success. A loss would see the bottom two teams close the gap, leaving Coach Phuong's team struggling to avoid relegation.

Round 23 also features several matches that could be considered "early finals". The result of the Nghe An "derby" at 6 PM on May 17th will determine the home team Ha Tinh's chances of finishing in the top 3, as well as Song Lam Nghe An's chances of avoiding relegation.

Meanwhile, the match at Tam Ky Stadium between Da Nang FC and Quang Nam FC (6 PM on May 17th) is a "six-point" game. Both teams are in the bottom four, and whichever team wins this Quang Nam "derby" will have a much better chance of participating in the V-League next season.

The recent home performance of Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team is alarming: 2 losses, 1 draw, and only 1 win in 4 matches played at Thong Nhat Stadium.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/clb-tp-hcm-se-thoat-hiem-196250516204414033.htm