The bottom-ranked team in the V.League nearly caused an upset.

PVF-CAND caused an upset by defeating The Cong Viettel in round 24 of the V.League 2025/26.

The Cong - Viettel entered the match as the favorites, currently ranked second and holding a significant advantage in the race for the runner-up position. Against a bottom-placed team like PVF-CAND, the military team quickly took control of the game and pressed from the opening minutes.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred quite early. In the 20th minute, PVF-CAND was awarded a penalty after Ha Van Viet dribbled the ball inside the penalty area and was fouled by Van Nam. From the penalty spot, Reynolds Alastair calmly beat goalkeeper Van Viet, opening the scoring for the visiting team.

Trailing by a goal, The Cong - Viettel increased the pressure. In the 31st minute, Pedro Henrique unleashed a dangerous free-kick from outside the penalty area, the ball narrowly missing the post but still failing to equalize. Despite superior ball control, the home team remained frustrated by PVF-CAND's tight defense throughout the first half.

After the break, the game didn't change much. The Cong - Viettel continued to push forward, constantly launching attacks in an attempt to find an equalizer. Nham Manh Dung, Phan Tuan Tai, and Wesley Nata all had chances, but either lacked accuracy or couldn't beat goalkeeper Sy Huy.

Meanwhile, PVF-CAND maintained a disciplined defensive style, readily throwing themselves into tackles to neutralize their opponents' shots. The police team showed commendable resilience, holding firm against the intense pressure from The Cong - Viettel for most of the match.

It wasn't until the 76th minute that the home team's efforts were rewarded. From a precise cross by Phan Tuan Tai, Dinh Xuan Tien controlled the ball neatly with his chest before unleashing a decisive shot, beating Sy Huy to equalize the score. In the remaining minutes, Coach Popov's players continued to press, but couldn't find another goal. PVF-CAND also lacked the strength to create an upset, accepting a draw after 90 minutes.

The 1-1 draw helped PVF-CAND temporarily escape the bottom of the table, moving up to 12th place with 18 points. Meanwhile, The Cong - Viettel, although still in second place with 50 points, missed the opportunity to increase their lead and faced significant pressure from behind as Ninh Binh could close the gap.