The Cong Viettel is close to finishing as runner-up.

Despite not winning even though they took an early lead against Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, The Cong Viettel is close to securing the runner-up position, needing only a draw in the final round against Hanoi Police FC.

The Cong Viettel is close to finishing as runner-up.

On the evening of May 31st, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC hosted second-placed The Cong Viettel at Go Dau Stadium in Round 24 of the V.League 2025/2026. In this crucial match, The Cong Viettel aimed to maintain their runner-up position and secure a spot in the AFC Cup next season, while Ho Chi Minh City Police FC needed points to consolidate their ranking in the leading group.

Since coach Phung Thanh Phuong took over, the police team has shown a clear improvement in discipline and effectiveness in their playing style. Their recent three-match unbeaten streak, including a valuable draw away against Ninh Binh in the previous round, has helped the team at Thong Nhat Stadium solidify their position in the top 5.

However, since they were still the underdogs in this match, coach Phung Thanh Phuong didn't want to risk his players pushing forward. Therefore, strikers Nguyen Tien Linh and Khoa Ngo were kept on the bench.

Lucao's dynamic play caused problems for the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club's defense.

Meanwhile, despite being depleted and playing away from home, The Cong Viettel maintained their philosophy of controlling the ball and pushing forward right from the opening whistle. Coach Popov's players created a series of relentless attacks towards goalkeeper Le Giang's goal.

The Malaysian referee consulted VAR multiple times.

In the 8th minute, the net of the Ho Chi Minh City Police FC was shaken by the continuous pressure from the police team. Foreign player Paudinho headed the ball into the net from close range after a chaotic corner kick. After a 4-minute VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal, determining that the striker had fouled center-back Hoang Phuc before taking the shot.

Viettel's control of the midfield allowed them to create more opportunities than the home team. And they capitalized on these chances well, with their strikers knowing how to finish neatly.

Nham Manh Dung scored the opening goal for The Cong Viettel.

The opening goal for The Cong Viettel came in the 35th minute, making it 1-0. Lucao broke down the right flank and delivered a perfect pass into the penalty area for Nham Manh Dung to shoot. Goalkeeper Le Giang made an effort to block the shot, but the ball still rolled into the net.

With the game deadlocked and trailing, at the start of the second half, coach Phung Thanh Phuong brought Khoa Ngo onto the field to create a breakthrough in the attack for the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club. However, Khoa Ngo's skillful dribbling still couldn't make a difference. In the 68th minute, striker Tien Linh was also brought on in an attempt to find an equalizer.

Tien Linh scored to help Ho Chi Minh City Police FC secure a 1-1 draw at home.

Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's changes proved effective. In the 85th minute, from a second ball situation following a corner kick, Khoa Ngo unleashed a shot from outside the penalty area. The ball reached Tien Linh, and the number 22 striker quickly tapped the ball into the net past goalkeeper Van Viet, equalizing the score at 1-1 for Ho Chi Minh City Police Club.

This draw brings The Cong Viettel closer to the runner-up position, currently sitting in second place with 51 points, 3 points ahead of Ninh Binh. In the final round, they face Hanoi Police on June 7th; just one point against their opponent will secure them a second-place finish in the V.League 2025/2026 season.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC remains in fifth place with 35 points and still needs to strive to maintain its position in the leading group. They will face Hanoi FC in the final round of the season.

Source: https://danviet.vn/the-cong-viettel-den-gan-voi-vi-tri-a-quan-d1431195.html