Nam Định are close to winning the 2023/24 V.League 1 championship. — Photo thethao247.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI — With a gap of up to eight points compared to the second-ranked team Bình Định, and with only five matches left in the season, Nam Định are close to winning the 2023/24 V.League 1 championship.

After two straight losses, Nam Định showed their determination to beat Thanh Hóa 5-2 to return to their familiar winning streak and remain firmly at the top of the rankings.

After 21 matches, Hà Nội FC and Bình Dương both have 33 points, but given the current table it seems highly likely that Nam Định will win the championship.

Meanwhile, the 1-2 loss to Thể Công Viettel over the weekend caused Hà Nội Police to extend their losing streak under interim coach Trần Tiến Đại to three, gradually pushing them out of the championship race. This loss caused the defending champions to fall to sixth place in the rankings with 31 points.

In the race to avoid relegation, Khánh Hòa's hope of staying in the V.League 1 continue to fade as they lost 1-2 to Bình Định. This result keeps Khánh Hòa at the bottom of the table and with only 10 points and they may be relegated after the next game.

The race to avoid the play-off position is also intense. Sông Lam Nghệ An (SLNA) have a series of four consecutive unbeaten matches, putting Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh and Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) under additional pressure.

In the next matches on Thursday and Friday, the game between Nam Định and SLNA at Thiên Trường Stadium and Hà Nội FC's match against Khánh Hòa at Hàng Đẫy Stadium, will attract a lot of attention. Hà Nội FC are expected to continue their pursuit of the championship by securing three points against the struggling Khánh Hòa. Meanwhile, SLNA's recent positive results will make their away trip to Thiên Trường Stadium an exciting prospect.

HAGL will welcome Thanh Hóa at their home ground in Pleiku, a key match for coach Vũ Tiến Thành and his team in their efforts to avoid the play-offs. VNS