The relegation battle is becoming increasingly exciting.

Despite playing away against Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, Da Nang team played bravely to secure a 2-2 draw in the match of Round 23 of the V-League 2025-2026, which took place yesterday, May 15th.

DA NANG KIEN CUONG CLUB

With nothing left to lose, Da Nang FC pushed forward to attack immediately after the opening whistle. Just 7 minutes later, Le Giang Patrik had to pick the ball out of his net after a close-range shot from Milan Makaric. For the next 15 minutes, things returned to normal. Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, with a stronger squad, regained control of the game and gradually created more opportunities, constantly putting goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan's goal under threat. In the 45+1 minute, Vo Minh Trong made a run down the wing and crossed the ball into the box, which struck Dang Anh Tuan's hand, earning a penalty for the home team. Lee Williams successfully converted the penalty, bringing the game back to a tie. In the 68th minute, from an accurate corner kick by Endrick, Makrillos rose high to head the ball in, increasing the score to 2-1 for Ho Chi Minh City Police FC.

Da Nang FC refused to give up easily. Coach Le Duc Tuan made a series of personnel changes to improve their attacking power. And the reward came in the 76th minute when Vo Nguyen Hoang executed a skillful turn and shot, beating Le Giang Patrik. In the final minutes, Da Nang FC defended resolutely and focused to maintain the 2-2 draw. This result helped Da Nang FC temporarily escape the bottom of the table. The team from the Han River has 17 points, the same as PVF-CAND, but ranks above them due to a slightly better goal difference (-12 compared to -18). The pressure now falls on Coach Tran Tien Dai's team as they face Hanoi FC, a team desperately needing points to compete for third place with Ninh Binh.

Vietnam U23 player Nguyen Phi Hoang (right) made two intelligent passes that led to two goals for Da Nang Club.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Will Ninh Binh Club win easily?

At 6 PM today (May 16th), Ninh Binh FC (ranked 3rd, 41 points) will travel to Vinh to face SLNA. Nguyen Hoang Duc and his teammates are still being closely pursued by Hanoi FC (ranked 4th, 39 points). A victory would help the team from the ancient capital create a safe distance and put pressure on their rivals (Hanoi FC plays on May 17th). This is a completely achievable task for Ninh Binh FC, given their superior squad quality and form. In their last 5 matches, they have 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. On the other hand, SLNA has only managed one win, one draw, and three losses.

At the same time, fans of Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC (ranked 12th, 21 points) were hoping for a "change of coach, change of fortune" scenario in their match against Hai Phong FC (ranked 7th, 28 points). Previously, the Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC management decided to part ways with coach Ueno Nobuhiro and appoint coach Hua Hien Vinh to the hot seat at a time when the gap with the 13th-placed team was only 4 points. Playing away against Hai Phong FC is not easy. Although coach Chu Dinh Nghiem is no longer directly in charge, the Hai Phong team is still considered the stronger side, especially when playing at their "fortress" Lach Tray. This season, Hai Phong FC has an impressive home record: 8 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss (against league leaders Hanoi Police). Most likely, Becamex TP.HCM will continue to play a proactive defensive game, waiting for quick counter-attacks, taking advantage of the speed and attacking prowess of forwards like Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong or Bui Vi Hao to create surprises.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hap-dan-cuoc-dua-tru-hang-185260515223649576.htm