The match took place with a proactive game leaning towards the home team. Right from the first minutes, Nam Dinh continuously created pressure on Thanh Hoa's goal. Xuan Son, Hoang Anh or Percy Tau all had shot opportunities but could not convert them into goals in the first half.
On the other side, Thanh Hoa mainly played defensively and waited for counter-attack opportunities. However, the away team's attacks were not sharp enough to cause difficulties for Nam Dinh's defense.
After the break, Nam Dinh continued to maintain pressure. In the 78th minute, the home team finally had the opening goal. From a situation where Xuan Son made a good wall pass, the ball reached Akolo's feet and this foreign player launched a low shot with his left foot, defeating goalkeeper Y Eli Nie.
The final minutes of the match became tense when Thanh Hoa was awarded a penalty in the 88th minute after a collision in the penalty area. However, after consulting VAR, the referee changed his decision, sent off Lucas from Nam Dinh and converted it into a direct free kick for Thanh Hoa.
Despite having to play with one less player in injury time, Nam Dinh still maintained the 1-0 score until the match ended.
This victory helps Nam Dinh climb to 6th place in the rankings, while Thanh Hoa still faces many difficulties in the relegation race with 12th place.
