LPBank National Cup 2025/26 Semi-Finals: 'A Fifty-Fifty Match'

LPBank V-League 2025/26 and the National First Division Bia Sao Vàng 2025/26 have concluded, yet the domestic professional tournaments still have the "wrap-up" matches including the playoff, semi-finals, and final Cup National securities LPBank 2025/26. The Vietnamese domestic arena this season still has four more matches, and they are no less exciting.

1. The 2025/26 National Cup is reaching its conclusion with two semi-final matches at Thien Truong and Ninh Binh. These are fairly equal matchups, as the second-place V-League team faces the third-place team, and the fifth-place team meets the sixth-place team. All four teams are from the V-League, with very similar final standings, so the two clashes are predicted to be highly competitive.

Nam Dinh, after a not-so-successful season in the V-League, is looking to salvage a trophyless campaign as they host CATP.HCM, who are ranked just above them on the V-League table. Having been stretched across multiple tournaments, Nam Dinh's form in the V-League this past season has not been great. Nevertheless, with a squad that has won the V-League twice together, coach Vu Hong Viet's team is still regarded as one of the top forces in Vietnamese football.

Home advantage is also an important pillar for Nam Dinh. This season, the team from the Southern city once beat CATP.HCM 2-0 at Thien Truong. Just one step away from the final, the hosts are expected to continue leveraging this advantage to aim for the title.

Playing at home and with a stronger squad regarded, Nam Dinh is considered to have the edge in this matchup. However, the key is whether the Southern team can capitalize on their advantage to secure a spot in the final, as their goalscoring heavily depends on striker Nguyen Xuan Son.

On the other hand, although not highly rated, CATP.HCM under coach Phung Thanh Phuong is playing very intelligently and with great "self-awareness", seeking to create advantages for themselves. In this match, if the away team can "block" Nam Dinh's spearhead Xuan Son and make good use of their own chances, the possibility of them winning is not nonexistent.

2. The remaining match is a showdown between Ninh Binh FC and The Cong Viettel. This exciting clash between the two teams is seen as the "early final" of this year's National Cup.

Both Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel finished this V-League season in the top three strongest teams, maintaining consistent form throughout the season. Therefore, since they could not win the V-League title, their goal is undoubtedly to win the National Cup to end the season with a beautiful conclusion.

The squad quality of The Cong Viettel and Ninh Binh is very high, possessing many skilled domestic and foreign players. The lineups of both teams are a mix of youth and experience. In The Cong Viettel, Bui Tien Dung is an experienced leader with strong expertise, serving as a pillar for younger players like Phan Tuan Tai, Dinh Xuan Tien, Khuat Van Khang, Nham Manh Dung... to shine. Lucao's 11 goals are a powerful message sent by the away team to Ninh Binh.

Nevertheless, the home team does not seem intimidated by their opponent, as they have a quality squad across all lines. Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, midfielders Nguyen Duc Chien, Nguyen Hoang Duc, and the explosive Geovane are all top-class players, confident enough to compete with any outstanding player from The Cong Viettel on the other side.

In the V-League, both matches between Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel ended in 1-1 draws. Therefore, the upcoming clash is expected to be very dramatic, even not excluding the possibility of the two teams having to decide the outcome via a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.

Given the importance of the semi-finals, VPF has invited foreign referees to ensure fairness and enhance the professional quality of the match organization. Specifically, referee Muhammad Nazmi bin Nasaruddin (Malaysia) will officiate the Nam Dinh vs CATP.HCM match, while referee Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand) is assigned to handle the semi-final between Ninh Binh FC and The Cong Viettel.

The winners of the semi-finals will face each other in the final on June 14. The cup winner will earn a spot in the next season's ASEAN Club Championship. Hopefully, these "wrap-up" matches of the domestic tournaments will deliver top-notch performances, full of explosive moments, worthy of the expectations of Vietnamese football fans.