The leading group begins to split
After 18 rounds, the top spot situation is being quite clearly defined. Hanoi Police leads with 45 points, maintaining a 7-point gap with the second-placed team, The Cong Viettel (38 points). Right behind are Ninh Binh with 34 points and Hanoi with 30 points.
Despite being held to a draw by PVF-CAND in the recent round, coach Alexandre Polking's team still maintains the number one position with a relatively safe gap. The current score allows Hanoi Police not to be under direct pressure, because even when The Cong Viettel continuously chases, the 7-point gap is still an important "buffer zone" when the season is only 8 rounds left.
Notably, in the chasing group, The Cong Viettel just had an important victory against Dong A Thanh Hoa to continue to nurture hopes of competition. However, the army team showed instability in scoring ability compared to the Hanoi Police - a team that owns a more effective attack and better ability to create breakthroughs in decisive moments.
Ninh Binh and Hanoi FC are also maintaining certain pressure. Ninh Binh with a narrow victory over Becamex TPHCM thanks to a goal scored in the 90+3 minute shows bravery in decisive moments, while Hanoi FC is gradually regaining stability with convincing victories. However, in terms of overall points, both still need a series of strong breakthroughs if they want to squeeze into the real championship race.
Coach Alexandre Polking once emphasized after the recent round that the sprint stage always requires maximum concentration: "The important thing is not the current position, but the way the team maintains stability in each remaining match." This is also the consistent viewpoint of Hanoi Police in the journey to protect the top spot.
Hanoi Police Club has the right to self-determination
In the final stage of the season, Hanoi Police has an advantage in the schedule when they no longer have to share strength for the international arena, helping to ensure fitness and squad depth for the V.League.
Meanwhile, opponents such as The Cong Viettel or Hanoi still have to play in the national cup, with a tight schedule, easily affecting stability in the decisive stage.
Thep Xanh Nam Dinh is also a noteworthy name as they are still participating in goals in the cup arena, thereby indirectly impacting the top race when they successively face the above teams in the final rounds.
According to the remaining schedule, Hanoi Police will enter 8 decisive matches, including two confrontations with direct opponents, The Cong Viettel and Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. These are matches that are not only meaningful in terms of points but also directly affect the overall championship race.
If they maintain stable form in these key matches, coach Polking's team can completely maintain their current advantage and get closer to the throne. Conversely, just one stumble in six-point matches can quickly narrow the gap, especially when the opponents behind are all trending to accelerate.
A noteworthy point is that Hanoi Police are holding the right to self-determination. With a 7-point gap compared to the team behind, they do not need to depend on the opponent's results, but only need to maintain stable performance to control the race.
The final stage of the season always hides a lot of pressure, especially when each match can become a turning point. Maintaining concentration, avoiding personal mistakes and optimizing finishing ability will be the decisive factor for success or failure of Hanoi Police in their journey towards the championship.
At the present time, the race has not been decided, but the balance is leaning towards the Capital team. If there are no major fluctuations, the advantage in points, force and schedule can help Hanoi Police continue to maintain the top spot until the end of the season.
