V.League 2024/25 Round 19: All races are heating up.

The V.League 2024/25 season is becoming increasingly exciting with unpredictable developments in both the race for the top spots and the relegation battle.

After round 18, with all three top teams failing to win, Hanoi Police FC returned to the top four with a fairly close points gap to the teams above them. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, apart fromSHB Da Nang, which is still temporarily at the bottom, it remains difficult to determine which team will have to play in the play-off (second-to-last position). Foreign referees were invited to officiate the match between Dong A Thanh Hoa FC vs The Cong Viettel FC and the match between Song Lam Nghe An FC vs Quang Nam FC.

Three matches will all take place on Friday (April 19th).

At Pleiku Stadium, Hoang Anh Gia Lai hosted Hong Linh Ha Tinh with the sole objective of securing three points. While fans in the mountain town had been hopeful after their 4-0 victory against Becamex Binh Duong, the 1-3 defeat against Hanoi Police made those hopes seem fragile once again.

Meanwhile, Ha Tinh is continuing its unbeaten streak. After their first (and only) loss so far against Hai Phong, coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's team has gone four matches without defeat (1 win, 3 draws), including a 2-2 draw against the strong The Cong at home in the most recent round. Hoang Anh Gia Lai has the home advantage and is determined to win, but Ha Tinh seems to be the team with more consistent form, so this match will be very difficult to predict.

Hanoi Police will also be determined to win when they face Ho Chi Minh City. After a sweet victory in round 18 against Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Coach Polking's team is only 2 points away from the top 3, and even only 3 points behind the second-placed Hanoi FC, meaning their ranking could continue to improve after this round.

On the opposite side of the pitch, Ho Chi Minh City just had a thrilling 1-1 draw at Thien Truong Stadium, which can be seen as a morale boost for Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's players. However, when comparing the two teams, Hanoi Police is still considered the stronger side. Therefore, despite losing 1-2 in the first leg at Thong Nhat Stadium, with the home advantage and the aforementioned circumstances, there is no doubt about the home team's superior position in this rematch.

At Lach Tray Stadium, the match between Hai Phong and Quy Nhon Binh Dinh – currently second-to-last in the standings – is also noteworthy. The home team's five-point lead over their opponent is significant, but it cannot be considered safe with eight rounds remaining (including this one).

Therefore, for a team like Hai Phong, which once faced the threat of relegation, playing at home against a bottom-of-the-table opponent is an opportunity to make a breakthrough. On the other hand, Binh Dinh just had a very commendable victory at Tam Ky Stadium against Quang Nam, thereby narrowing the gap to just 2 points behind their direct competitor, Song Lam Nghe An. For coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's team, playing at home is an advantage to aim for a "double goal": to avenge their defeat in the first leg and to further widen the gap with the Binh Dinh team. Conversely, Binh Dinh will give their all (similar to their performance in the previous victory against Quang Nam) to aim for a point in this match, hoping to continue the challenging relegation battle.

Tuan Ngoc

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/vong-19-vleague-202425-cac-cuoc-dua-deu-nong-post545772.html