Intense and fierce at both ends of the V.League rankings

After the first 22 rounds, the top 3 teams currently have Nam Dinh leading the rankings with 43 points, Binh Dinh ranked 2nd with 37 points, Hanoi with 36 points ranked 3rd. The championship is considered to belong to Nam Dinh Club, when it is 6 points ahead of the 2nd ranked team, if there is no surprise, the team at Thien Truong Stadium will even win the championship 1-2 rounds early.

\However, the 2nd and 3rd positions will have many fluctuations when a series of other teams are also chasing closely. When both Binh Duong and Viettel have 33 points; Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City have 32 points, CAHN has 31 points...

Being in the top 3 not only achieves the goal of winning a medal, but also gives the team the opportunity to participate in continental tournaments, expand its influence and affirm its position. Currently, the gap between the teams ranked from 2nd to 6th on the rankings is only a few points, enough to see the fierce and unpredictable competition.

Because after round 22, V.League 2023/2024 has to take a break for the national team to play the remaining 2 matches of the 2nd qualifying round, World Cup 2026, the performance of the rising teams such as Hanoi, Binh Dinh, Viettel, will certainly be affected. In addition, the teams ranked at the top of the rankings also have many players called up to the national team, so the force may be affected when the players are overloaded or injured.

In the remaining 4 rounds, the schedule and form of the teams will play a key role in the race for the top 3. There may be teams that unexpectedly slip up, or on the contrary, there may be teams that can make a strong breakthrough. The final matches of the season are always full of pressure, and the team that maintains its spirit better will have a greater chance of achieving its goal. In addition, injuries and penalties are also unpredictable factors, but can greatly affect the situation. Therefore, managing the force and rotating the squad appropriately to avoid injuries and penalties will be a difficult problem for the coaches.

Besides the fierce race for the top 3, the life-and-death battle to avoid the play-off spot is also increasingly tense when SLNA, Ha Tinh, HAGL all have 26 points, Ha Tinh Club after the victory over defending champion CAHN is slightly better with 27 points; all four of these teams are "strong candidates" for the play-off spot. In addition, the teams currently ranked in the middle of the rankings but with poor performance such as: Thanh Hoa (30 points), Ho Chi Minh City (32 points), must also be careful or they will fall into the play-off spiral.

The race to avoid the play-off spot requires not only tactics but also the spirit of not giving up. Teams with experience in the relegation race such as SLNA and HAGL are considered to have an advantage. The Nghe An team, after changing the head coach, is currently on a winning streak with 2 draws and 3 wins. Ha Tinh Club, after the shock of 5 key players being caught in drug cases, is having an unstable performance. Quang Nam Club also has some wins and some losses and is also thin; and HAGL, after a winning streak, is now slowing down.

It can be said that V.League 2023/2024 is witnessing an extremely intense and attractive race to the top 3 and avoid the play-off spot. The fierce competition at both ends of the rankings brings dramatic and emotional matches to fans. With only 4 rounds left, any scenario can happen, and the teams that maintain their form, fighting spirit and reasonable tactics will be the ones to achieve their goals. This race not only demonstrates the professional quality of the tournament but also affirms the attractiveness and unpredictability of Vietnamese football.

Duc Dung

The race to avoid the play-off spot in V.League 2023/2024 is taking place in an exciting and intense manner.