Very early, right after the end of round 20 of the V-League, the atmosphere before the decisive match between Hanoi FC and Nam Dinh FC at Hang Day Stadium (at 7:15 p.m. on May 4) was heated up. On April 28, one day after Hanoi FC defeated Quang Nam FC, Nam Dinh FC's fanpage made a special announcement when there would be 30 45-seat cars to take fans to Hanoi to cheer for the team from Thanh Nam. "The club will add more cars if fans have more demand. At the same time, the team will give 5,000 tickets to watch the match to Nam Dinh FC fans. Together, we will cover Hang Day Stadium, fight and win, bringing glory to Thanh Nam football", the enthusiastic call on Nam Dinh FC's fanpage.

Photo: Minh Tu

For their part, the home fans are still silent but certainly will not sit still. The victory in round 20 helped Hanoi FC gain 37 points, "breathing hot air down the neck" of Nam Dinh FC (39 points). If they win, coach Teguramori Makoto and his team will surpass their opponents for the first time to take the top spot, opening a new turning point in the championship race. In the opposite case, the gap of 5 points could prevent Hanoi FC from being crowned this season. If this match is a draw, the 2024 - 2025 V-League championship race will continue to be fierce until the last minute.

Does Hanoi team have an advantage?

The home team Hanoi FC is gathering all the elements of "heavenly time, favorable terrain, and harmony" to be ready for the overthrow, when coach Teguramori Makoto has the strongest squad, the players are in good form and ready to fight. The fact that Tuan Hai and Hai Long both "scored" in the previous round helps the capital team possess the most diverse scoring attack in V-League with Joao Pedro (7 goals), Hai Long, Van Quyet (both 5 goals), Daniel Silva (4 goals), Tuan Hai (3 goals). In particular, the defense has only conceded 5 goals in the last 6 matches, which will be a solid foundation for Hanoi FC to confidently not lose in this match.

On the other side of the front line, Nam Dinh FC regained their winning streak when they defeated Binh Duong FC 3-1, helping them forget the two disastrous draws against Ho Chi Minh City FC and Da Nang FC. Lam Ti Phong's double and Ly Cong Hoang Anh's goal will help coach Vu Hong Viet have more powerful attacks from the second line. However, Van Toan's injury forced him to leave the field in the previous match, showing that he will hardly be able to guarantee 100% form and fitness in this match. If Van Toan is absent, Nam Dinh's attack will suffer a great loss.

In addition to Van Toan, the team from Thanh Nam also lost players when Thanh Hao (defensive leader) was suspended. Therefore, Nam Dinh Club will likely have to play safe to find a favorable result.