The relegation battle intensifies.
After 23 rounds and accumulating 60 points, Coach Mano Polking's team created an 11-point gap over The Cong Viettel and officially secured the championship title convincingly after their victory against Thanh Hoa last weekend. Not only did CAHN clinch the title early, but they also set a number of impressive milestones in the V.League with 19 wins, establishing a record for the most wins since the league adopted the 14-club format.
Under the guidance of coach Mano Polking, CAHN has demonstrated comprehensive superiority, boasting the most effective attack with 55 goals and the most solid defense in the league, having conceded only 19 goals. Furthermore, CAHN is very close to breaking the V.League's all-time points record set by Hanoi FC (then Hanoi T&T) in 2018 with 64 points.
With three rounds remaining in the season and coach Mano Polking and his team having completely shed the pressure of achieving results after securing the championship early, CAHN has the opportunity to continue conquering many other memorable milestones such as the highest goal difference, the fewest losses, or the best defense of the season.
In other news, the final three rounds of the V.League still promise to be exciting. While the championship title has already gone to CAHN FC, the runner-up position is unlikely to slip from The Cong Viettel's grasp as they are 5 points ahead of the team in third place. The competition for third place between Hanoi FC (42 points) and Ninh Binh (44 points) will be fierce. Ninh Binh currently holds a significant advantage after their impressive comeback against SLNA, consolidating their position in the standings. If they continue to maintain their form in the final stages of the season, they could certainly make a significant impact this year.
Meanwhile, the relegation battle is hotter than ever. According to the format, the bottom team is directly relegated, and the second-to-last team has to play a play-off, making the race exciting until the final round. Currently, HAGL is 11th with 22 points, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City is 12th with 21 points, while SHB Da Nang and PVF-CAND both have 17 points in the last two positions. The two teams above them, SLNA and Thanh Hoa, with 24 points, are not yet guaranteed to avoid relegation as the gap can still be closed.
In round 24, HAGL will face Thanh Hoa, and whichever team wins will have a great chance in the relegation battle. Similarly, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City will have a crucial match against SLNA, and a loss would risk them sinking further to the bottom of the table.
Currently, SHB Da Nang and PVF-CAND are fighting with all their might in the V-League survival race. SHB Da Nang is showing strong signs of resurgence with a series of positive results, from a 2-0 victory against Becamex Ho Chi Minh City to courageous draws against The Cong Viettel. Their experience of a spectacular escape from relegation last season, winning 4 out of 7 matches to secure a play-off spot, is boosting the confidence of coach Le Duc Tuan's team and helping them to perform increasingly well.
PVF-CAND faces an even tougher challenge as they still have to confront strong opponents like The Cong Viettel and Hai Phong FC in the final rounds. However, with the team in a desperate situation, their fighting spirit and desire for survival can always create unpredictable surprises. Even with only three rounds remaining, the relegation battle is far from over, as no team has been officially relegated or will have to play in the play-offs. The close points difference promises to make the final stretch of the V-League even more dramatic and full of surprises.
The competition for the top scorer title is intense.
Another notable highlight in the final three rounds of the 2025-2026 V.League season is the race for the top scorer title, where leading strikers are creating a captivating competition. The focus is currently on Nguyen Dinh Bac – the name that has become the biggest phenomenon in the second half of the season with his explosive form. The 21-year-old striker has consistently impressed, scoring 10 goals in just the last 6 matches, an astonishing performance for a domestic player in the V.League.
Dinh Bac's outstanding performance not only helps CAHN maintain its attacking strength, but also ignites hope that Vietnamese football will for the first time in many years witness a domestic striker win the top scorer title of the season - an award usually held by foreign players.
However, the challenge for Dinh Bac remains immense. Within CAHN itself, foreign striker Alan Grafite is still leading the scoring charts with a gap of 5 goals. In addition, Lucao of The Cong Viettel, with 11 goals, has not given up his ambition to pull ahead in the final stages of the season.
In Round 23, on the day CAHN defeated Thanh Hoa to officially clinch the V.League 2025-2026 title, one of the most talked-about moments was the dispute over taking the penalty kick between Alan Grafite and Nguyen Dinh Bac. With the scoring race entering its decisive phase, it was understandable that both Alan and Dinh Bac wanted to take responsibility for the penalty. After some debate, Alan was chosen and made no mistake in taking the penalty. With his goal against Thanh Hoa, Alan Grafite further solidified his position at the top of the goalscoring charts with 15 goals.
With a relaxed mindset after securing the title early, Alan Grafite and Nguyen Dinh Bac have the opportunity to improve their goal-scoring records in the matches against Ha Tinh and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City. Furthermore, if they maintain their current form, both Alan and Dinh Bac could potentially increase their goal tally before the highly anticipated clash with Lucao's The Cong Viettel in the final round. That match not only holds prestige between the two major teams but could also become the "final" in the race for the V-League top scorer title this season.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/v-league-2025-2026-van-kich-tinh-751039.html
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