The match against Song Lam Nghe An marked a remarkable turning point in Nguyen Dinh Bac's career when the striker born in 2004 made his first club-level hat-trick.
He opened the score with a close-range finish, then continued to score from a combination with Quang Hai before completing a hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 2nd half.
The scoring efficiency of the player from Nghe An has recently improved significantly. In the past 4 matches, he has scored 7 goals, including a double against SHB Da Nang, a goal against PVF-CAND, Ho Chi Minh City Police and a hat-trick against Song Lam Nghe An.
Notably, before that, Dinh Bac had experienced a period of more than 500 days without scoring in the V.League.
Currently, Dinh Bac has risen to 9th place in the top scorer list this season, equal to some foreign players such as Geovane (Ninh Binh) or Imoh Fred Friday (Ninh Binh).
Above him are names with stable performance such as Leo Artur (Hanoi Police), Do Hoang Hen (Hanoi FC), Olaha (Song Lam Nghe An), Tagueu (Hai Phong), Lucao (The Cong Viettel) and Alan (Hanoi Police).
If considering the list of domestic top scorers separately, the competition is taking place between Do Hoang Hen and Nguyen Dinh Bac. At this time, the naturalized striker of Hanoi FC has 9 goals despite missing the early stage of the season without playing.
When the tournament enters the final stage, this gap can change if the strikers maintain stable performance. In which, Dinh Bac can completely surpass his senior.
The fact that the striker born in 2004 regained his scoring feeling and maintained his form in a short time is a positive sign, showing that young strikers can make a mark if given opportunities in a highly competitive environment like the V.League.