Hanoi defeats CAHN, Viettel closes in the gap; Milan wins the derby.
Domestic and international football on the morning of March 9th witnessed several notable results. Hanoi FC ended Hanoi Police's unbeaten streak, and The Cong Viettel continued their pursuit in the V.League championship race. In Europe, AC Milan won the derby against Inter, while Lyon avoided defeat thanks to a last-minute equalizer.
Hanoi defeats Hanoi Police, making the championship race even more dramatic.
The 2-1 victory against Hanoi Police helped Hanoi FC end their opponent's unbeaten streak in the V.League 2025/26, and also made the championship race more exciting as the points gap between the top teams narrowed significantly.
Entering the capital derby, Hanoi Police were considered the favorites, maintaining a 14-match unbeaten streak. Coach Mano Polking's team started proactively and quickly put pressure on Hanoi's goal. In the 20th minute, Stephan Mauk unleashed a dangerous long-range shot, before Dinh Bac and Thanh Long repeatedly threatened goalkeeper Van Chuan's net.
However, Hanoi unexpectedly took the lead in the 27th minute. Following a sharp counter-attack, Do Hoang Hen capitalized on a pass from the right wing to unleash a powerful shot, beating goalkeeper Nguyen Filip.
In the second half, Hanoi Police launched a strong offensive but were met with a solid defense from the home team. In the 74th minute, Hanoi was awarded a penalty when David Fisher was fouled in the penalty area. From the penalty spot, Hoang Hen completed his brace, increasing the score to 2-0.
Hanoi Police's efforts only resulted in a consolation goal in injury time when Leo Artur successfully converted a penalty after VAR intervention.
With a 2-1 victory, Hanoi ended the league leaders' unbeaten streak and made the V.League 2025/26 championship race unpredictable, as teams like The Cong Viettel and Ninh Binh are closing in.
The Cong Viettel secured a convincing victory, firmly holding onto second place in the standings.
Viettel Sports continued its impressive form by defeating Becamex Ho Chi Minh City 3-1 away from home, thereby consolidating its second position in the V.League 2025/26 standings after round 15.
In the 3rd minute, the away team took the lead when Khuat Van Khang executed a skillful turn before unleashing a beautiful shot. However, Becamex TP.HCM quickly brought the game back to a tie in the 9th minute when Thanh Long capitalized on a mistake by goalkeeper Van Viet to score the equalizer.
After conceding a goal, The Cong Viettel continued to maintain their dominance. Their efforts were rewarded in the 42nd minute when Lucao rose high to head the ball into the net following a corner kick from Van Khang.
In the second half, coach Popov brought Wesley Nata onto the field to strengthen control of the midfield. This decision quickly proved effective as The Cong Viettel continued to dominate the game.
In the 80th minute, Lucao displayed skillful footwork before assisting Wesley Nata, who finished accurately to seal a 3-1 victory for the visitors.
The three points earned helped The Cong Viettel continue to stay close to the top group in the championship race, while Becamex Ho Chi Minh City is still facing many difficulties in the relegation battle.
PVF-CAND suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Nam Định in the 90th minute.
Despite an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Phi Minh Long, PVF-CAND still suffered a 0-1 defeat against Nam Dinh, with Lucas scoring the only goal in the 90th minute of the match.
From the start of the match, Nam Dinh showed their determination to win all three points by constantly putting pressure on the opponent's half. Striker Xuan Son became the most dangerous attacking threat with many bursts of speed and shots, but lacked accuracy in finishing.
Under intense pressure from the visiting team, PVF-CAND proactively opted for a tight defensive style of play. Goalkeeper Phi Minh Long consistently shone with many crucial saves, helping the home team keep a clean sheet for most of the match.
In addition, PVF-CAND also had some notable counter-attacking opportunities, including a combination between Thanh Nhàn and Vũ Tín in the 73rd minute that nearly resulted in a goal for the home team.
However, just when the match seemed destined to end in a draw, Nam Dinh unexpectedly scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute. From a pass by Van Vi, Lucas unleashed a shot that hit the crossbar before flying into the net.
PVF-CAND suffered a disappointing 0-1 defeat, remaining at the bottom of the table, while Nam Định gained crucial points in their fight to avoid relegation.
Milan wins the Inter derby, heating up the Serie A title race again.
AC Milan defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Derby della Madonnina, thus rekindling their hopes in the Serie A title race this season.
From the start of the match, both teams played cautiously but still created notable opportunities. In the 3rd minute, Milan nearly opened the scoring when Luka Modrić unleashed a long-range shot after an assist from Christian Pulisic, but the ball went wide of the post.
Inter then gradually took control of the game and had several shots on goal from Federico Dimarco and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but they were not enough to beat goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The turning point of the match came at the end of the first half when Youssouf Fofana delivered a sublime through pass for Pervis Estupiñán to run onto and finish decisively, opening the scoring for Milan.
In the second half, Inter increased the pressure with a series of opportunities but failed to capitalize. Dimarco, Zieliński, and Dumfries all had chances but lacked accuracy in their finishing.
The 1-0 victory helped Milan close the gap with Inter to 7 points with 10 rounds remaining in the season, and also made the Serie A title race even more exciting.
Lyon avoided defeat against Paris FC thanks to a penalty in injury time.
Lyon struggled to secure a 1-1 draw against Paris FC, with Corentin Tolisso scoring the equalizer from the penalty spot in the sixth minute of added time.
Following recent disappointing results, Lyon entered the match determined to secure all three points. However, the visiting team, Paris FC, pulled off a surprise victory.
In the 63rd minute, Marshall Munetsi capitalized on the chaos in the penalty area to fire a close-range shot, giving Paris FC the lead.
Trailing by a goal, Lyon increased the pressure and brought on young talent Endrick to improve their attacking capabilities. However, the Brazilian striker proved quite ineffective in front of the opponent's goal.
The final minutes of the match saw Lyon launching a full-scale attack. Their relentless pressure finally paid off when the referee awarded the home team a penalty after a Paris FC player handled the ball inside the penalty area.
From the penalty spot in the 90+6th minute, Corentin Tolisso successfully converted, helping Lyon avoid defeat at home.
The draw means Lyon continue to drop crucial points in the race for Champions League qualification as the season enters its decisive phase.
