Football festival and the unbelievable comeback

The match at Thong Nhat Stadium took place in an unprecedentedly exciting atmosphere. The entire stands were red with the colors of both teams, creating a true football festival. And it only took 5 minutes for the goal party to begin when Le Hai Duc scored a goal to put Ninh Binh ahead 1-0.

However, the mettle of coach Le Huynh Duc and his team was clearly shown. They were not shaken, immediately organized a quick counter-attack and scored a 1-1 equalizer thanks to Viet Hoang in the 12th minute. In the 19th minute, foreign striker Lee Williams scored to raise the score to 2-1, before Duc Phu increased the gap to 3-1 in the first half's injury time for the home team. But from there, Ninh Binh showed that they are not an easy team to defeat. Just one minute after the third goal, Hoang Duc shortened the gap to 2-3 with a tricky header.

In the second half, the scenario completely changed. Just 5 minutes after the ball started rolling again, foreign player Gustavo Henrique scored an equalizer 3-3 after VAR confirmed the goal was valid. The away team continued to increase the pressure with fast coordination on both wings, while Tien Linh and his teammates on the HCM City Police side also had two good opportunities but could not take advantage. When time passed to the 89th minute, Geovane Magno sent a dangerous cross that caused defender Quang Hung to score an own goal, sealing a spectacular 4-3 victory for Ninh Binh.

This dramatic victory helped Ninh Binh extend their unbeaten streak of 11 matches (8 wins, 3 draws), firmly holding the top spot with 27 points. Under the guidance of coach Gerard Albadalejo, the team from the ancient capital is becoming the most interesting phenomenon in V.League in recent years. The Spanish strategist's philosophy is very clear: proactive ball control, quick attacks and high-level pressing. He did not build Ninh Binh according to the typical counter-attacking style of rookies, but aimed to control the game and be ready to play offensively with all opponents. That confidence is the core factor that helps them defeat a series of big names such as The Cong, Nam Dinh or Hanoi FC.

Coach Gerard Albadalejo is considered the “architect” of a team that knows how to unite and dare to dream big. “We respect all opponents, but Ninh Binh does not enter the field to defend. Football is only attractive when you believe you can win,” he said after the victory over The Cong Viettel in round 9. Notably, Ninh Binh is having an extremely impressive away form with 6 unbeaten matches, scoring 15 goals and conceding only 8.

Behind Ninh Binh, CAHN continued to show formidable strength. In the late match of round 11, coach Alexandre Polking and his team won 3-0 against Hong Linh Ha Tinh thanks to Minh Phuc, Rogerio Alves and Quang Hai. The victory helped them reach 23 points, 4 points behind Ninh Binh but with two matches left to play. If they win all 6 points in the two make-up matches, the Police team will close in on the top spot and heat up the championship race at the beginning of 2026.

Hai Phong is also making a strong comeback under coach Chu Dinh Nghiem. After the defeat in round 10, the team from the port city immediately stood up with a 3-1 victory over SHB Da Nang, thereby climbing to third place with 20 points. Hai Phong does not have many stars, but in return, they have a fighting spirit and admirable solidarity, which are the factors that make up the identity of the team from the Red Flamboyant City.

The Cong (19 points) are still persistently chasing the top 4 after a regrettable 2-2 draw against PVF-CAND, while Ho Chi Minh City Police, despite the unfortunate loss, still hold the 5th position with 17 points, still having a chance to return to the top group race. In the middle group, Hanoi FC (14 points) and Hong Linh Ha Tinh (15 points) show signs of recovery.

In the bottom half of the table, Song Lam Nghe An won a valuable 2-1 victory over Becamex TP.HCM, thereby rising to 9th place with 10 points, equal with the middle group but only 3 points ahead of the bottom team. Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Dong A Thanh Hoa drew 1-1 in a dramatic match until the 10th minute of extra time, making the "red light" area even more tense. Currently, the gap between the bottom team Da Nang (7 points) and the middle group is only 3-4 points, making the relegation race predicted to be even more fierce than the championship race. Each point can change the situation.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/le-hoi-bong-da-va-man-nguoc-dong-kho-tin-180800.html