PVF-CAND and The Cong Viettel advance together.

HAGL unexpectedly suffers a defeat.

After their away win against SLNA in round 21, HAGL were very close to securing their survival in the league, leading to a degree of complacency in their match against PVF-CAND. In this match against a direct rival, a single point would have guaranteed their survival. However, the coaching staff of the team from Pleiku City fielded a surprising starting lineup that shocked both experts and fans. "Steel Shield" Tran Trung Kien was not included in the matchday squad, replaced by young goalkeeper Dinh Phuoc Sang. It's worth remembering that Trung Kien has contributed significantly to HAGL's success this season. In the victory against SLNA at the Vinh Stadium, Trung Kien neutralized most of the shots from the Nghe An team. Goalkeeper Phuoc Sang, in his first V-League start, naturally struggled under the pressure from PVF-CAND, conceding two goals to Eid Mahmoud and Pham Ly Duc. Ly Duc is a player who came through the HAGL youth academy and is one of the outstanding players of the Vietnam U23 team. HAGL's efforts helped them score a goal to narrow the score to 1-2 in injury time of the first half. In the second half, when PVF-CAND played slowly and cautiously to secure the victory, HAGL was unable to fight back to equalize.

V-League Round 22: Hanoi Police FC gets one hand on the championship thanks to Dinh Bac.

The victory in Pleiku was invaluable for PVF-CAND because it pushed Da Nang FC back to the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, HAGL is not yet truly safe, remaining in 11th place with 22 points, 5 points ahead of PVF-CAND in 13th place (who would have to play a relegation play-off).

PVF-CAND và Thể Công Viettel cùng tiến- Ảnh 1. — PVF-CAND *(right)* secured an important victory at Pleiku Stadium.

The Cong Viettel solidified their second place position in the standings.

Despite facing difficulties, Viettel FC secured a crucial victory, defeating hosts Ha Tinh 2-0. Unlike recent matches, Viettel played very well offensively and maintained a tight defense, even though coach Popov was still unable to direct from the technical area. Assistant coach Nguyen Van Bien did an excellent job filling in, providing direct instructions on the field. Viettel held possession more and attacked better in the early stages, securing all three points away from home. The standout player was center-back Bui Tien Dung, who brilliantly scored both goals for Viettel in the 7th and 16th minutes. This victory is very important for the military team, increasing their lead over third-placed Ninh Binh to 5 points. In round 23, when Viettel faces Nam Dinh on May 17th, coach Popov will have served his suspension and will return to coaching, which will undoubtedly boost the players' morale.

At Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi Police FC took another big step towards the championship with a comeback victory against Nam Dinh, winning 3-2. This win gives Hanoi Police FC 57 points, 11 points ahead of The Cong Viettel with only 4 rounds remaining. In the other match, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC defeated SLNA 3-1.

Watch LPBank V-League 1-2025-2026 live and in full on FPT Play, at https://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/pvf-cand-va-the-cong-viettel-cung-tien-185260510224012237.htm