Hai Phong vs Ho Chi Minh City Police: The fiery atmosphere of Lach Tray Stadium and a chance for Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's ​​team to break through.

Hai Phong will face Ho Chi Minh City Police in the highlight match of Round 18 of the V-League 2025/26 at 6:00 PM on April 11th at Lach Tray Stadium. This is a clash between two teams with completely contrasting form, where the home team holds every advantage from psychological edge to head-to-head history.

The contrast in form and psychological slump.

The home team at Lạch Tray Stadium entered this match in high spirits. Their convincing victory against Hanoi FC in the previous round not only secured three valuable points but also officially relieved the pressure on Coach Chu Đình Nghiêm's team from a series of draws and losses that had lasted since the beginning of November 2025. This boost transformed Hải Phòng into a formidable opponent, especially playing on their familiar home turf.

In contrast to the resurgence of the Hai Phong team, the Ho Chi Minh City Police team traveled to the North with heavy hearts. After a promising streak of three consecutive victories, Coach Le Huynh Duc's team unexpectedly suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat against Thanh Hoa. This loss not only exposed weaknesses in their defense but also raised serious questions about the Ho Chi Minh City representative's ability to maintain consistency.

The voice of history and home advantage

Statistics are overwhelmingly in favor of coach Chu Đình Nghiêm and his team. In the last 7 encounters, Hải Phòng has won 6 times and only drawn once against Công an TP.HCM. Lạch Tray Stadium has long been a difficult place for visiting teams to get a win, where the pressure from the stands is always an invisible weapon that suffocates opponents.

In terms of personnel, Hai Phong welcomes the important return of defender Trung Hieu after his suspension. This gives coach Chu Dinh Nghiem more options to strengthen the defense. Meanwhile, although not suffering major injury losses, Ho Chi Minh City Police is facing the problem of the low form of key players in the attack.

Analyzing tactics and key areas on the field.

Under the guidance of coach Chu Đình Nghiêm, Hải Phòng remains committed to a philosophy of proactive ball control and short passes. The central axis, featuring Luiz Antonio and Joel Tagueu, is key to the home team maintaining their rhythm and imposing their style of play. Up front, striker Lupeta is excelling in his role of attacking, creating space for supporting players like Hữu Nam and Hoàng Nam to exploit.

Conversely, coach Le Huynh Duc is likely to instruct his players to play more pragmatically. After the heavy defeat, the top priority for Ho Chi Minh City Police will be to set up a deep defensive formation and wait for opportunities to counter-attack. All hopes of the visiting team will rest on the shoulders of two Vietnamese-American players, Khoa Ngo and Lee Williams, who possess speed and the ability to create breakthroughs on the flanks.

The focus of the match will be on the duel between Luiz Antonio and defensive midfielder Makrillos in the midfield. In addition, the clash between center-back Felipe (Ho Chi Minh City Police) and striker Lupeta (Hai Phong) will also determine the outcome of the match. Another name receiving much attention is Nguyen Tien Linh, the 1997-born striker eager to rediscover his goal-scoring form after a long period of silence.

General assessment

With favorable circumstances, home advantage, and strong team spirit, Hai Phong is predicted to dominate the match. The disarray in the Ho Chi Minh City Police team's defense is unlikely to be completely rectified in the short term. A minimal victory for the Hai Phong team is a very likely scenario, allowing them to extend their winning streak at Lach Tray Stadium.

Match information