When courage speaks up in the midst of a fierce race

VHO - Ninh Binh continues to hold the top spot, Hanoi Police rise to second place, while The Cong Viettel loses steam and Nam Dinh struggles to find themselves - round 8 of V.League LPBank 2025/26 witnessed dramatic turmoil in the top group.

Despite being behind early in PVF-CAND's away match at PVF Stadium, Ninh Binh still showed their formidable mettle. Under the guidance of coach Albadalejo Castano Gerard, the newly promoted team calmly organized the game, scoring three goals in succession to come from behind to win 3-1. This was the second consecutive round that the new team won all 3 points away from home, continuing to maintain an unbeaten record and firmly at the top of the table with 20 points.

Ninh Binh is flying high on the V.League 2025/26 rankings

In another development at Pleiku Stadium (Gia Lai), after 7 rounds of only drawing and losing, HAGL finally enjoyed the feeling of victory when they defeated The Cong Viettel 2-1. Two goals from Jairo and Ryan Ha helped the team from the mountain town relieve pressure, and at the same time end the haunting streak of thirst for victory. Three points were not enough to help HAGL improve their second-to-last position, but this was an important mental medicine for coach Le Quang Trai and his team. On the other hand, The Cong Viettel lost their form, revealing limitations in transition and defensive discipline - the reason why they fell to third place.

The latest match of round 8 at Hang Day Stadium ( Hanoi ) is a special match between two teams in the same industry: CAHN and CA TP.HCM. Before the match, many people believed in the advantage of the away team when the home team lost goalkeeper Nguyen Filip due to injury, and midfielder Le Van Do received a red card in the 18th minute after a collision with Viet Hoang. But in adversity, coach Alexandre Polking's team performed disciplined and effective football.

In the 35th minute, foreign player Alan took advantage of the opponent's defensive mistake to open the score 1-0, which was also the only goal of the match. The rest was a tight defensive performance, the spirit of the Capital team, despite having only 10 men, still maintained the game and created many sharp counter-attack opportunities. With three valuable points, CAHN extended their 10-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, rising to second place in the table with 17 points, only 3 points behind Ninh Binh and still having one match left to play. This victory is also a strong affirmation of the spirit of the true championship candidate.

In contrast to the rise of new recruit Ninh Binh, at Thien Truong, new coach Trung Kien had an unlucky debut when defending champions Nam Dinh were held to a 1-1 draw by Da Nang. The away team unexpectedly took the lead in the 14th minute thanks to a shot from player Phi Hoang, causing the atmosphere at Thien Truong Stadium to plummet. Nam Dinh pressed almost the entire time after that, but the attack line was lacking sharpness.

It wasn't until the 89th minute that defender Lucas Alves headed home an equalizer, saving the home team from a defeat at home. However, this was the fourth consecutive match that Nam Dinh failed to win, putting the defending champions in a worrying situation. With only 7 points after 8 rounds, last season's champions are currently in the bottom half of the rankings. The problem of stabilizing the squad, especially the uncreative attack, will be a big challenge for coach Trung Kien in the coming period when the schedule is tight and the opponents start to speed up.

In the match at Binh Duong Stadium, Hanoi FC had a spectacular comeback against Becamex TP.HCM with a 3-2 victory in heavy rain. Do Hoang Hen was the most prominent name, scoring one goal and assisting another to help the Capital team have their first win under coach Harry Kewell. After a shaky start, Hanoi FC is gradually stabilizing and can return to the championship race, which has been their forte in recent seasons.

At the end of round 8, Ninh Binh continued to lead with 20 points, followed by CAHN (17 points, played one less match) and The Cong Viettel (15 points). Hai Phong and CA HCMC both had 14 points, creating a group of fierce pursuers. In the lower half, HAGL, SLNA, Da Nang and Nam Dinh are facing many difficulties. The teams that were once expected now have to regain their form to avoid being caught up in the early relegation race.

V.League 2025/26 has gone nearly a third of the way and signs of fierce competition are evident. Ninh Binh has emerged as a phenomenon, Hanoi Police has proven its ability as a candidate, while The Cong Viettel, Nam Dinh and HAGL still have a lot of work to do.

The changes in round 8 not only heated up the rankings, but also opened a new race where each victory could change the situation. And there, only teams that maintain stability, courage and depth of force are strong enough to go the long way to the throne.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/khi-ban-linh-len-tieng-giua-cuoc-dua-khoc-liet-177725.html