The match at PVF stadium in Hung Yen pitted the V-League leaders against the bottom-ranked team. Cong an Ha Noi (CAHN) sought a win to maintain their 9-point lead over The Cong, while PVF-CAND needed points to escape the relegation zone.

The hosts made an early impact in the 10th minute, when Thai Ba Dat scored in the penalty area. However, the assistant referee flagged for offside. VAR confirmed that Nguyen Thanh Nhan, who assisted Ba Dat, was behind the CAHN defense.

PVF-CAND midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac (right) scored the equalizer in the 54th minute against Cong an Ha Noi during V-League 2025-2026 matchday 18 at PVF stadium in Hung Yen on 12/4/2026. Photo: PVF-CAND

After their narrow escape, CAHN opened the scoring. From midfield, Stefan Mauk passed to Nguyen Dinh Bac. The young forward took an extra touch before firing a long-range shot into the bottom right corner. The ball was not overly powerful, but goalkeeper Phi Minh Long's error allowed it to bounce off his hand and into the net.

This marked Dinh Bac's first time scoring in two consecutive V-League matches, reaching a season-best 3 goals in the V-League.

Despite conceding, coach Tran Tien Dai's team maintained pressure. Goalkeeper Nguyen Filip made crucial saves in the 25th and 26th minutes, denying Thanh Nhan a goal.

In the 54th minute, PVF-CAND found space behind the opposing defense. Lucas Turci launched a long ball from his own half to Nguyen Xuan Bac, who broke the offside trap and faced the goalkeeper. His initial shot was saved by Filip, but the rebound was a dangerous strike that wrong-footed Tran Dinh Trong, leveling the score at 1-1.

CAHN, despite superior quality, struggled without Alan Sebastiao and Leo Artur. Dinh Bac had two clear opportunities, hitting the side netting in the 66th minute. In the 8th minute of added time, Doan Van Hau headed the ball to the far post, but Dinh Bac volleyed wide of an open goal.

Unable to score, CAHN grew frustrated as their opponents repeatedly wasted time. In the final 10 minutes and 10 minutes of added time, PVF-CAND players fell to the ground 8 times. In the 90th minute, Phi Minh Long received a yellow card for time-wasting. In the 7th minute of added time, Turci went down, only to stand up and walk off when the stretcher arrived.

Coach Mano Polking also expressed dissatisfaction with an incident in the 59th minute, when Nguyen Vu Tin stomped on Le Van Do's right shin. Referee Nguyen Van Phuc showed a yellow card to the home player and maintained the decision after consulting VAR, without reviewing the video himself as requested by the away team's coaching staff.

The draw ended CAHN's 11-match winning streak in the V-League. The team has 45 points, now only 7 points ahead of The Cong. Meanwhile, PVF-CAND has 13 points, one point more than last-place Da Nang.

Starting lineups:

PVF-CAND: Phi Minh Long, Lucas Turci, Pham Ly Duc, Vo Anh Quan, Vu Tin, Truong Van Thai Quy, Xuan Bac, David Reynolds, Joseph Mpande, Thanh Nhan, Thai Ba Dat.

Cong an Ha Noi: Nguyen Filip, Doan Van Hau, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, Tran Dinh Trong, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Stefan Mauk, Vitao, Le Pham Thanh Long, Quang Hai, Le Van Do, Dinh Bac.

Hieu Luong