Round 17 V-League: When HAGL Faces Ninh Bình Under Coach Vũ Tiến Thành

The Mountain Town team recently had a pleasant memory against this same opponent, securing a victory away from home. That was also the last time they enjoyed a full triumph in this season's V-League.

Currently, HAGL temporarily holds the 11th position on the standings with 15 points. The gap between them and the bottom group is very narrow. After round 16, the Mountain Town team is only 3 points ahead of the relegation playoff group. Therefore, coach Quang Trãi's squad is determined to utilize their home advantage to achieve positive results.

At this moment, every point is crucial for HAGL. A single slip-up, while direct competitors win in this round, could completely put HAGL in a dangerous situation.

In round 16, HAGL shared points with Đà Nẵng after an exciting match (3-3). Despite not having the best lineup, the Mountain Town team always played with high spirit, knowing their strengths and weaknesses.

Ninh Bình once created an impressive image by leading the table for the first 10 rounds. However, a recent streak of 5 matches without a win, including 4 losses, has caused the Hoa Lư ancient capital team to drop to 3rd place on the standings.

The declining streak of the Ancient Capital team forced the Ninh Bình Club leadership to bring back coach Vũ Tiến Thành, who was then serving as Technical Director at HAGL, to the coaching bench.

Nevertheless, this change has not yet yielded clear results. Ninh Bình still performed inconsistently with 1 loss and 1 draw in the V-League, before somewhat regaining confidence with a hard-fought victory over PVF-CAND in the National Cup quarter-finals. The semi-final ticket helped relieve pressure, but it is not enough to confirm their comeback.

The Hoa Lư ancient capital team currently has 28 points and is already 16 points behind the top team, Công an Hà Nội (having played one less match). Ninh Bình must be very determined to hold their position in the Top 3. If they cannot secure all 3 points in Pleiku, their championship ambition will suffer another heavy blow. The recent break was an important period for coach Vũ Tiến Thành to revive the team's morale.

Considering the squad, Ninh Bình is rated slightly stronger in this match, but having to play away in Pleiku against a HAGL desperate for points will be a significant challenge.

The match between HAGL and Ninh Bình is not just a battle for points but also carries a strong personal imprint. The spotlight focuses on coach Vũ Tiến Thành, who previously served as Technical Director in Pleiku before moving to lead the Ancient Capital team. This strategist's deep understanding of each position of his former team will be the most unpredictable variable in the confrontation at Pleiku.

The match between HAGL and Ninh Bình in round 17 of the V-League 2025-2026 will take place at 5:00 PM on April 5th. The match in Pleiku is therefore not only a battle for points but also carries many special meanings: a confrontation between two "same-house" teams. The match is also a reunion of coach Vũ Tiến Thành with his former team, promising to be extremely exciting and noteworthy.