Defender Trương Văn Thiết of Viettel (right) vies for a ball against SHB Đà Nẵng's skipper Đặng Anh Tuấn during their V.League 1 match on May 2. Viettel will play Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh on neutral ground at Việt Trì Stadium today. Photo courtesy of VPF
Football
HÀ NỘI The V.League 1 title defence is coming down to the wire, and with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai top of the table and in the driver's seat, Viettel face an uphill battle to retain the title.
A win over Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh today is a must to help the keep the Hà· Nội-based side in with a chance.
Viettel are currently second in the table, three points behind Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL). Both sides have one match to go before the mid-season break and split into six teams to vie for the title and eight to battle, with HAGL taking on Quảng Ninh today in Hạ Long City.
Viettel recently hired fitness coach Fernandes Dos Santos. The Brazilian is expected to make use of his 10 years of experience to help them in both local and international competitions.
Viettel have rebounded strongly since a loss 3-0 loss to HAGL in March and defender Quế Ngọc Hải has said the home defeat was humiliating but pushed his team back into the race.
He said Viettel reviewed their tactics, then returned stronger.
Since that defeat, they have gone seven games without losing, racking up six wins and one draw.
However, Hà Tĩnh will be no pushovers tonight.
Coach Nguyễn Thành Công took charge three weeks ago and has given the team a breath of fresh air. He has led Hà Tĩnh from bottom place to No 10 currently with three wins, including a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over high-flying Nam Định.
Công said his players had suffered physical problems due to the hot weather in Hà Tĩnh Province but they had learned how to overcome it.
Due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hà Nội sports authority will not allow the match to be held at Hàng Đẫy Stadium.
Instead, the game will be played at Việt Trì Stadium in Phú Thọ Province, about 80km from the capital city, and without fans in attendance.
Another game set to be played behind closed doors is between Sài Gòn FC and Thanh Hóa at the Thống Nhất Stadium in HCM City.
Visiting Thanh Hóa are in fifth and need a win to keep a berth in the top six while Sài Gòn, second from bottom, want three points to escape the danger zone.
Meanwhile, coach Phan Thanh Hùng will have his first match in his second stint in charge of SHB Đà Nẵng against Nam Định.
Đà Nẵng are in ninth place with 16 points, one behind Becamex Bình Dương who are No 6. To get into the top six, Đà Nẵng need to win and hope teams above them drop points.
"It is a challenge for us. We can't decide our fate. Nam Định are really a big challenge for us because they have been playing well," said Hùng.
"But anyway, we must do our job best first."
Nam Định are in good form in fourth position with impressive performances from Ivorian Oussou Konan and Brazilian Rodrigo Da Silva Dias. The strikers have netted seven goals each and are two of the league's three leading scorers.
Elsewhere, Bình Dương will host HCM City FC at Gò Đậu Stadium while Bình Định will visit Hải Phòng at Lạch Tray, and Sông Lam Nghệ An will entertain Hà Nội at Vinh. VNS
OVietnam