HAGL breathes a sigh of relief, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City on the brink of disaster.

At Pleiku Stadium, HAGL hosted Hanoi FC (a team desperately needing points to compete for a top 3 spot with Ninh Binh) under immense pressure. The team from the mountain town had a points advantage over their rivals Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and PVF-CAND, but were far from safe and needed a win to secure their survival in the league. HAGL fell behind early after Hoang Hen's goal but staged a courageous comeback. The standout performance came from young striker Tran Gia Bao. The 2008-born player stole the show with a speedy run, a dangerous cross that led to Thanh Chung's own goal, and then a curling shot past Xuan Manh to open the scoring, securing a 3-1 victory for HAGL. The home team's other goal was scored by Dos Santos. This result brings HAGL's total points to 26 after 25 matches. With a five-point lead over the bottom three teams and only one match remaining, the team from the mountainous region has officially secured their place in the league for next season.

HAGL thở phào, Becamex TP.HCM bên bờ vực thẳm- Ảnh 1. — Technical Director Vu Tien Thanh and the HAGL players erupted in joy after successfully avoiding relegation.

Meanwhile, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City suffered a defeat at Hang Day Stadium against Hanoi Police FC (CAHN). Coach Alexandre Polking fielded a nearly full-strength team; Quang Hai, Dinh Bac, Leo Artur, and Alan played in perfect harmony, putting a lot of pressure on goalkeeper Tran Minh Toan's goal. After several missed opportunities, the home team opened the scoring. In the 16th minute, Dinh Bac provided a clever assist for Alan, who chipped the ball neatly over Minh Toan. In the 46th minute, Dinh Bac completed his double assist with a well-placed pass for Leo Artur to neatly slot the ball home, increasing CAHN's lead to 2-0.

Facing a precarious position, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC pushed forward in attack. However, the team from Binh Duong could only rely on the individual efforts of Viet Cuong or Minh Khoa. And that was insufficient to break through the well-organized defense of CAHN FC. The efforts of the team from the Southeast only resulted in a consolation goal from Zlatkovic, assisted by Minh Khoa, in the 57th minute. For the remainder of the match, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC tried harder, but failed to make a difference.

This defeat leaves Becamex Ho Chi Minh City with only 21 points. After PVF-CAND unexpectedly beat Hai Phong 3-1 and Da Nang FC drew 0-0 with Ha Tinh, the V-League now has three teams tied on points: Da Nang (goal difference -10), Becamex Ho Chi Minh City (-14), and PVF-CAND (-20). From a relatively safe position, the team once nicknamed "Vietnam's Chelsea" has suffered a long slump with 9 consecutive matches without a win. Notably, they lost 7 matches, including a streak of 4 consecutive losses due to weak defense and a lack of attacking ideas. More importantly, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City's morale has almost hit rock bottom. Without the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Minh Toan, the situation for the team from Binh Duong would have been much more dire.

Becamex Ho Chi Minh City still has their fate in their own hands. If they beat HAGL in the final round, they will likely secure 13th place, thus keeping their hopes of staying in the V-League alive (provided they also beat the second-placed team in the First Division, Bac Ninh FC). However, with their unconvincing style of play and heavy psychological burden, coach Hua Hien Vinh's team will probably need a miracle to survive.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hagl-tho-phao-becamex-tphcm-ben-bo-vuc-tham-185260531215105798.htm