On the evening of May 23, the relegation race in the V.League 2025-2026 continued to be tense when Da Nang won an important 2-0 victory over Hai Phong at Chi Lang Stadium.
Previously, PVF-CAND surprised when they drew with The Cong Viettel with a score of 1-1 at Hang Day Stadium. This result helps the bottom-ranked team nurture hopes of catching up in the final stage of the season.
However, Da Nang took advantage of the opportunity to create an advantage in the relegation race. Right from the first minutes, the home team actively pushed up the squad and continuously put pressure on Hai Phong's half of the field.
After many missed opportunities, Da Nang had the opening goal in the 34th minute. From a quick counter-attack, Makaric escaped to face and defeat goalkeeper Van Luan.
In the second half, Hai Phong tried to find an equalizer but could not penetrate the home team's defense. In the 81st minute, Makaric completed a double with an accurate one-touch finish, sealing a 2-0 victory for Da Nang.
With 3 points, the Han River team increased their total points to 20 after 24 rounds, temporarily rising to 13th place. Meanwhile, PVF-CAND is at the bottom of the table with 18 points.
In another match, Hoang Anh Gia Lai drew with Thanh Hoa 1-1 away from home. The Mountain Town team took the lead thanks to Abdurakhmanov's own goal in the 16th minute, but this player himself made amends by equalizing before the first half ended.
The draw result makes both Thanh Hoa and Hoang Anh Gia Lai uncertain of relegation. After 24 rounds, Thanh Hoa had 25 points, ranked 9th, and Hoang Anh Gia Lai ranked 11th with 23 points.
Also on the evening of May 23, Ninh Binh drew 1-1 with Ho Chi Minh City Police despite leading in injury time. The home team opened the score thanks to Gustavo in the 40th minute, but Lee Williams scored the equalizer in the 90+5th minute.
The draw made Ninh Binh miss the opportunity to narrow the gap with The Cong Viettel in the race to the leading group. After 24 matches, Ninh Binh has 47 points, while Ho Chi Minh City Police is ranked 5th with 34 points.
