Round 20 of V-League 2025-2026: A Turning Point in the Championship Race

The top-ranked Hanoi Police will host Song Lam Nghe An at Hang Day Stadium. If they win, the police department's team will soon be "riding solo" toward the finish line.

Hanoi Police's recent record of winning four out of their last five matches has left chasing teams like Viettel somewhat breathless in the pursuit. The gap between Coach Mano Polking's squad and the second-placed team is 7 points, with only 7 rounds remaining in the season. This consistent performance from the police department's team is making fans believe they have already grasped one hand on the V-League championship trophy this season.

Hanoi Police is demonstrating the image of an unstoppable winning machine. The team's excellence under Coach Mano Polking has been maintained throughout the tournament, avoiding the slump cycles that other championship contenders like Nam Dinh or Ninh Binh have experienced. In the previous round, a 3-0 victory right at Thong Nhat Stadium against Ho Chi Minh City Police confirmed the attacking prowess of the capital's star-studded lineup. With home advantage, Hanoi Police aims to secure all three points against SLNA to maintain their lead in the championship race, despite the opponent's annoying defensive tactics.

The most anticipated hope at this moment is that the lower-ranked teams can create surprises against Hanoi Police. That faith is placed in the Nghe region's team. SLNA has been playing very annoyingly since Coach Van Sy Son took over. The Nghe-born coach is the one who led SLNA to a 1-1 draw against Hanoi Police in Round 7 back in October 2025, on his debut with his hometown team.

SLNA is gradually escaping from the danger zone in the relegation battle. The Nghe region's team has established a relatively safe gap, being 11 points ahead of the 13th-placed PVF-CAND, with only 7 rounds left in the season. The positive changes in the Nghe region's team are linked to the influence of Coach Van Sy Son. Under his guidance, the Vinh Stadium-based team prioritizes solid defensive organization and more pragmatic play.

Considering the squad strength, the home team Hanoi Police has a clear advantage over the visiting team, both in foreign and domestic players. Additionally, their stable performance throughout the season helps the police department's team maintain a safe distance from the trailing teams in the championship race.

Also in this round, before waiting for Hanoi Police to stumble, Viettel must resolve the challenge against Da Nang at Chi Lang Stadium. A victory would not only help Coach Velizar Popov's team pressure the top-ranked team but also protect their current second-place position with 41 points.

In this match, Viettel will not have direct guidance from Coach Popov due to a 4-match disciplinary suspension from the Vietnam Football Federation. Viettel is maintaining good form with a streak of 7 unbeaten matches, including 6 wins and 1 draw.

However, playing as a guest at Chi Lang always poses difficulties for Viettel. In their two previous away matches against Da Nang, despite being rated higher, Viettel was held to draws by the home team. If that happens again, Coach Popov's team will struggle to compete with Hanoi Police.

Coach Le Duc Tuan's team is currently on a very poor run with 4 consecutive losses recently.

The Han-living team is struggling at the bottom of the table to escape the danger zone. The urgent need now is that they cannot afford to lose again, as the gap with the team above them is only 1 point.

At this moment, the V-League relegation battle is very exciting. The gap between the bottom-group teams is not large. The positions within this group can fluctuate significantly after just 1 or 2 rounds. This will be motivation for the relegation-fighting teams to strive harder.

Schedule for Round 20 on April 26:
18:00: Hong Linh Ha Tinh - Ho Chi Minh City Police
18:00: Da Nang - Viettel
19:15: Hanoi Police - Song Lam Nghe An