V-League Round 23: Will Hanoi Police FC win the championship early?

Hanoi Police FC will play against Thanh Hoa at 7:15 PM tonight, May 17th, at Hang Day Stadium (live broadcast on FPT Play, HTV Sports, MyTV, TV360, SCTV).

Hanoi Police FC is an unstoppable force in this season's V-League - Photo: MINH DO

This is the most notable match of Round 23 of the LPBank V-League 2025-2026, where the police team has the opportunity to clinch the championship title early.

Thanh Hoa will find it difficult to stop the Hanoi Police.

The balance of skill and form is now heavily tilted towards Hanoi Police FC. Before the rematch against Thanh Hoa, the police team had only lost one match, remaining undefeated otherwise. They secured 18 wins and 3 draws since the beginning of the season to maintain their top position in the league.

The gap between Hanoi Police FC and second-placed The Cong - Viettel is currently 11 points. A win against Thanh Hoa in round 23 would secure Hanoi Police FC the championship title three rounds early, regardless of the remaining results. In other words, Hanoi Police FC has virtually no rivals left in the title race.

"Next week we will achieve our goal of winning the championship, hopefully the fans will come to the stadium and celebrate with Hanoi Police FC. We are completely confident in that," head coach Alexandre Polking shared after the victory against Nam Dinh in round 22.

In the first leg, Hanoi Police FC easily defeated Thanh Hoa with a score of 3-1. A similar outcome is entirely possible in the second leg, especially with the return of captain Nguyen Quang Hai and Alan Grafite from injury, plus Nguyen Dinh Bac's explosive form.

Over the last six rounds, no team in the V-League has been able to prevent Dinh Bac from scoring. Teams like Da Nang, PVF-CAND, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Song Lam Nghe An, Hai Phong, and Nam Dinh have all fallen victim to the Vietnamese national team striker. He is the most dangerous player that Thanh Hoa needs to be wary of.

Unlike Hanoi Police FC, who are brimming with confidence for the championship, Thanh Hoa FC is struggling with a series of difficulties since the club president was arrested. They lack operating funds, have to sell key players to cover living expenses, and promote young players to replace them. Always playing as underdogs, Thanh Hoa FC still shows incredible spirit and resilience in each round, hoping to avoid relegation.

But in football, spirit alone isn't enough to make things happen. It's also about strength and ambition. It's very difficult for Thanh Hoa to spring a surprise against Hanoi Police FC and prevent them from winning the championship three rounds early.

Hanoi Police FC is an unstoppable force in this season's V-League - Photo: MINH DO

Why does Hanoi Police FC consistently lead and leave its rivals far behind?

In the V-League 2025-2026 championship race, Hanoi Police FC has gained an advantage and maintained a safe distance from its rivals primarily thanks to the stability of its squad depth, quality of its players, and playing style.

Smart signings have given this team an advantage right from the transfer window. They don't invest heavily or buy foreign players en masse; instead, they only acquire players for positions that are lacking and truly necessary.

Dinh Bac is the key player in that deal. After two seasons of patiently nurturing this young player, Hanoi Police FC has finally reaped the rewards. In the last six matches, Bac has consistently scored goals, helping the team secure victories. Thanks to his outstanding performance during this crucial period, the police team has eased the loss of their key player, Alan, who was injured.

Hanoi Police FC has largely retained its core squad from previous seasons. Their team boasts a wealth of high-quality, experienced players along the central axis (such as Filip Nguyen, Viet Anh, Quang Hai, and Leo Artur). Over time, the players have become increasingly cohesive and effective. This is also a crucial factor in maintaining their stability and enabling them to withstand difficult times.

Coach Alexandre Polking's contribution was also crucial. With his coaching philosophy supported by his players, Hanoi Police FC could comfortably divide their squad to compete in multiple competitions simultaneously. Unable to advance further in Asia or Southeast Asia, Hanoi Police FC had even more reason to focus all their efforts on the V-League championship race this season.

Live broadcast of V-League Round 23 on May 17th:

- Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs. Ha Tinh 5 PM (FPT Play, TV360 7)

- Nam Dinh - The Cong - Viettel 6 PM (FPT Play, VTV7, MyTV, TV360, SCTV)

- PVF-CAND - Hanoi 6 PM (FPT Play, TV360 10)

- Hanoi Police vs. Thanh Hoa at 7:15 PM (FPT Play, HTV Sports, MyTV, TV360, SCTV).

Even if they win the championship early, Hanoi Police Club will not yet be awarded the trophy.

Coach Polking awaits the opportunity to lift the championship trophy with Hanoi Police - Photo: TTO

Even if they win the championship early, Hanoi Police Club will not yet be awarded the trophy.

VPF (Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company) plans to award the V-League championship trophy to the top-ranked team (most likely Hanoi Police FC) in Round 25, which will take place on May 31st, when the police team will host Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC at Hang Day Stadium.

The reason is that this V-League season doesn't have multiple teams competing for the championship like in 2023, and the runner-up and third-place teams still need to be determined. These two positions are currently a three-way race between The Cong - Viettel, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi, which is still fiercely contested and will only be accurately determined in the final round.

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NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vong-23-v-league-clb-cong-an-ha-noi-vo-dich-som-20260517070031523.htm