Expert Doan Minh Xuong: 'Bottom V-League teams strive to overcome difficulties'

The landscape of LPBank V-League 2025/2026 is witnessing strong fluctuations after the 14th round. There, CAHN extended their winning streak and are holding an advantage in the race for the championship. Conversely, the bottom group is extremely tight as many teams have nearly identical points.

Before round 15, expert Doan Minh Xuong observed that CAHN's acceleration is not surprising: "Up to this point, the situation at the two ends of the table reflects contrasting tones. At the top of the standings, CAHN continues to demonstrate superior form to race towards the finish line, while the relegation battle of the bottom teams is heating up with notable turning points. Some championship contenders have shown signs of running out of steam, the chasing pack and the relegation race have become more dramatic than ever with unpredictable results.

We once hoped for a diverse, colorful championship race, but things have not gone as expected. In that race, contenders like Hanoi FC, The Cong Viettel, Ninh Binh, or Nam Dinh have all faced their own issues. The V-League landscape before round 15 is showing a completely different scenario. CAHN has executed a spectacular acceleration, completely separating from the rest of the league, making the chasing hopes of their rivals increasingly fragile.

Under the guidance of coach Mano Polking, CAHN is displaying devastating form. They currently lead the table with 35 points, setting a streak of 16 consecutive unbeaten matches in the V-League. Notably, the 7-point gap with The Cong Viettel and the 8-point gap with Ninh Binh could potentially widen as CAHN still has a game in hand.

Not only does CAHN hold all the advantages in the title race, but their rivals are also not performing well. A prime example is Ninh Binh, who have lost all of their last three matches. From leading the table after round 11, the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital team has fallen to 3rd place and trails CAHN by 8 points after round 14. Additionally, Hanoi FC also appears to be struggling, having lost to The Cong Viettel. The current gap to the top spot has reached 14 points, nearly closing the championship hopes for Vietnam's most successful club.

The composure of a big team, the quality required of a champion, will be seen in this round 15 Capital derby between Hanoi FC and CAHN. It is very difficult for Hanoi FC to win the title, but they certainly do not want to see their rival racing towards the finish line. It will be an exciting, attractive match as both teams have quality players in their squads. If CAHN wins this match, we will see the silhouette of the V-League champion in coach Mano Polking and his team".

Expert Doan Minh Xuong believes that if the championship race has taken shape with CAHN's dominance, then the battle against relegation is extremely fierce: "I want to talk about the fierceness in the battle of the teams at the bottom of the table. A series of teams are jostling there as the points difference is not large. Just one win or loss, everything will change.

SHB Da Nang, despite being at the bottom with 10 points, still has a full chance of survival as the gap to the teams above is only equivalent to one win. In this round, it's not certain that Ninh Binh will have an easy time hosting SHB Da Nang.

After a crucial victory over direct rival PVF-CAND, the morale of the Han River team is very high. Moreover, with quality additions, SHB Da Nang is showing positive professional improvements. It wouldn't be too surprising if coach Le Duc Tuan and his players earn points away at Ninh Binh.

Looking at what is happening, the relegation battle in V-League 2025/2026 promises to be very exciting, tense, and fierce. The league is entering critical turns for each team. There is no other way; the clubs in the bottom group must learn to adapt and strive to earn points through each of those "turns" to find a successful path to survival".