V.League 2 team Đồng Tháp will face Hà Nội FC in the National Cup this weekend. — Photo vietgiaitri.com

HÀ NỘI — The last 16 round of the National Cup will take place this weekend, and some lower league teams are aiming to claim more V.League 1 scalps.

After shocking top tier sides Hải Phòng and Sài Gòn FC in the preliminary round last weekend, Đồng Tháp and Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu ensured the number of V.League 2 teams in the round hit five.

The round will even feature a match between two teams from the first division as Cần Thơ and Bình Phước, meaning at least one V.League side will enter the quarter-finals.

The remaining three V.League 2 teams An Giang, Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu and Đồng Tháp will face three V.League 1 teams in Viettel, Sông Lam Nghệ An and Hà Nội FC respectively.

Đồng Tháp have perhaps the toughest draw with an away match at Hàng Đẫy Stadium, the home of defending league and cup champions Hà Nội.

The capital side is star-studded and includes several top national team players, including 2019 Golden Ball winner Do Hung Dung, so the visitors look unlikely to cause a shock.

The other two V.League 2 sides seem more capable of going through.

An Giang have the advantage of playing at home and are expected to make it difficult for Viettel who struggled to beat V.League 2 side Khánh Hòa in the preliminary round and only went through after Nguyễn Việt Phong scored in the 82nd minute.

Meanwhile, Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu are full of confidence after defeating Saigon FC in the last round 2-1 and could also turn over Sông Lam Nghệ An, who are missing several key players due to injury.

Typically, only one V.League 2 team makes it to the quarter-finals of the National Cup and the last to do it was Bình Phước in 2018, but this season could just be the underdogs' time to shine. — VNS