In recent years, Nam Dinh has been a formidable team in the V.League with 2 consecutive championships in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. However, last season, they only ranked 6th in the rankings, 29 points behind the champion Cong An Ha Noi team.
This is a disappointing achievement for the home team at Thien Truong Stadium. Stepping into the 2026-2027 season, Nam Dinh only plays in 2 domestic arenas, V.League and National Cup. This helps them streamline their squad and can focus all their strength to regain their position in the number one tournament in Vietnam.
To prepare for the new season, Nam Dinh team has parted ways with some foreign players such as Brenner, Akolo, Lucas Alves, Mahmoud Eid and Mitchell Dijks. They kept Caio Cesar, Romulo, Lu Sambal and Ezequiel Santos Da Silva and added some quality domestic players such as Pham Tuan Hai, Trinh Xuan Hoang, Tran Manh Quynh, Dam Tien Dung.
With these factors, plus existing stars such as Nguyen Xuan Son, Van Vi, Tuan Anh... Nam Dinh will still be a formidable opponent in the V.League. Coach Vu Hong Viet, number one striker Nguyen Xuan Son will contribute more after only scoring 6 goals last season due to physical problems. At the ASEAN Cup 2026 recently, Xuan Son was the top scorer with 5 goals, and won the championship with the Vietnamese team.
Meanwhile, Hoang Anh Gia Lai has been used to staying in the league for several recent seasons. Last season, they completed this goal in the penultimate round. Hoang Anh Gia Lai's force does not have many stars and they are also ready to part ways with their key players through the seasons.
Before the season started, the Pleiku home team parted ways with center-back Dinh Quang Kiet, who just wore the Vietnamese national team jersey to win the ASEAN Cup 2026. In addition, the team's leadership also decided to liquidate Brazilian players who have been attached to the team for many years such as Jairo, Marciel...
In the opposite direction, Hoang Anh Gia Lai decided to give opportunities to 4 new foreign players Julio Cesar, Matheus Lucas, Luann and Robson Reis, including two defenders. This is truly their "gamble", because if the foreign players do not perform successfully, their performance will be affected by the remaining force of the team not being highly rated. The most notable domestic player of Hoang Anh Gia Lai at this time is goalkeeper Trung Kien.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai is rated lower than Nam Dinh, but the head-to-head record of the two teams in recent years is quite balanced. In the last 5 encounters, each team won 1 match and the remaining 3 matches ended in a draw. Last season, the Mountain Town team once beat Nam Dinh 2-1 right on the away field.
Expected lineups of the two teams:
Nam Dinh: Nguyen Manh, Van Toi, Tyler James, Caio Cesar, Tuan Anh, Felix Junior, Ti Phong, Van Kien, Romulo, Tuan Hai, Xuan Son.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai: Trung Kien, Robson Alves Reis, Julio Cesar, Africa, Phuoc Bao, Thanh Son, Dinh Lam, Hoang Minh, Thanh Nhan, Lam Xavier Boy, Minh Tam.
