V.League Round 25: Who will be relegated?

Many clubs at the bottom of the table will be fiercely competing in round 25 to remain in the V.League next season.

Even in theory, Dong A Thanh Hoa – the fifth-to-last team – isn't truly safe. And in the top group, the race for the top 3 between Hanoi FC and Ninh Binh FC is also unpredictable with them tied on points… Round 25 (played simultaneously at 6 PM on Sunday, May 31st) is therefore still very exciting.

At the bottom of the table, newcomer PVF_CAND (18 points, currently last) has the home advantage when hosting Hai Phong. Naturally, to maintain hope, given they are 2 points behindSHB Da Nang, coach Tran Tien Dai's team will have to give their all to earn points against an opponent who still has (theoretically) motivation to finish in the top 5 (Hai Phong FC is 3 points behind Ho Chi Minh City Police).

It could be said that PVF-CAND was quite lucky to earn a point against The Cong in round 20, but their determination against a superior opponent in that match should still be acknowledged. If they continue to perform well like that, their chances of winning against Hai Phong FC (similar to how Da Nang just did at home in their 2-0 victory against Hai Phong FC in the previous round) are not insignificant.

PVF-CAND's direct rival, Da Nang, will be playing away against Hong Linh Ha Tinh in this match. The team from the Han River is showing extremely high determination and good form with a streak of 3 consecutive unbeaten matches (wins against BHCMC and Hai Phong, draw against Ho Chi Minh City Police).

With matches against Ha Tinh (away) and Thanh Hoa (home, final round) in quick succession, it can be confidently stated that they hold their fate in their own hands to avoid direct relegation. Furthermore, with only a 1-point gap separating them from Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, the opportunity to avoid relegation (and the play-off spot) is wide open for Coach Le Duc Tuan's team. For this reason, despite being considered weaker in terms of overall performance and playing away from home, SHB Da Nang is likely to be able to avenge their first-leg defeat, thereby gaining an advantage in the relegation battle.

Also at the bottom of the table, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, although currently ahead of Da Nang and PVF-CAND, will face an extremely difficult task when they meet Hanoi Police – the newly crowned champions – in a match where coach Polking's team will receive the championship trophy. Hanoi Police's superiority in every aspect, coupled with home advantage and the prospect of being crowned champions, means coach Hua Hien Vinh's team faces the prospect of leaving empty-handed, meaning they risk falling to second-to-last place before the final round (against Hoang Anh Gia Lai).

At Pleiku Stadium, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, currently ranked 4th from the bottom and still not in a safe position, will have to battle it out with Hanoi FC (currently ranked 3rd) in a match where "joy cannot be shared." If Hoang Anh Gia Lai wins, Hanoi FC will lose ground in the race for the top 3, while conversely, the risk for the team from the mountain town will increase even more if Da Nang and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City (the two teams immediately behind them) get 3 points...

There's no doubt that Hanoi is the favorite when comparing their overall strength and form. But let's not forget that when the two teams met in the first leg, thanks to a sound strategy, Hoang Anh Gia Lai even managed to secure a point at Hang Day Stadium. Therefore, this match remains extremely unpredictable as both teams still have plenty of motivation for the remaining two rounds.

Hanoi still harbors ambitions in the battle on the Pleiku plateau (Photo: VPF)

The match between Nam Dinh Green Steel and Song Lam Nghe An at Thien Truong Stadium is also worth watching. With 3 points less than the team currently ranked 5th, Ho Chi Minh City Police, coach Vu Hong Viet's team still has a chance to climb higher when the tournament ends, provided they perform at their best in the last two matches.

Although Nam Dinh has just suffered a streak of three consecutive defeats (against Hanoi Police, The Cong, and Hanoi) – all against extremely strong opponents in the top 3 – Song Lam Nghe An is different. The advantage of playing at their "sacred ground," which helped the Nam Dinh team win the championship for two consecutive seasons, is very clear, thus aiming for a sweet revenge (after losing 1-2 to Song Lam Nghe An in the first leg) and achieving a dual objective.

At Thanh Hoa Stadium, Dong A Thanh Hoa will face a huge challenge in Ninh Binh FC – a newly promoted team with a superior squad (they beat Thanh Hoa 4-0 in the first leg) and are extremely hungry for points to compete for a top 3 spot with Hanoi FC.

As mentioned above, theoretically, Thanh Hoa still risks dropping to second-to-last place if they lose both of their remaining matches (the last one against Da Nang at home), while Da Nang and Becamex Ho Chi Minh City also win both of their matches, and Hoang Anh Gia Lai defeats Hanoi FC in this round.

Thanh Hoa needs a win to avoid relegation (Photo: DATH)

The probability is quite low, but it's still possible. Therefore, the Thanh Hoa team will be forced to continue playing their best in this match as well as the final round (which could be considered a "relegation battle"). On the other side, Ninh Binh FC – in their first match under coach Chu Dinh Nghiem – will naturally be determined to win and are considered the favorites.

Finally, there's the match between Ho Chi Minh City Police (currently ranked 5th) and The Cong (currently ranked 2nd) at Binh Duong Stadium. The home team desperately needs a win, both to avenge their 0-3 defeat in the first leg and to avoid losing their top 5 finish. They demonstrated this determination in their draw against Ninh Binh on their home ground in round 24.

But overall, The Cong has the stronger team, although they were held to a draw by PVF-CAND in the previous round. However, if they regain their best form, this will still be a very difficult match for the home team (a draw would also be a successful result for Coach Phung Thanh Phuong's team).

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/vong-25-v-league-ai-se-xuong-hang.html