Ninh Binh drew 1-1 with Becamex TP.HCM, Hoang Duc felt regretful

Ninh Binh dropped the victory at home when they drew 1-1 with Becamex TP.HCM in round 9 of V-League 2025/26 on the evening of November 1, thereby missing the opportunity to widen the gap in the championship race. The team of the ancient capital Hoa Lu is still leading with 21 points, but the gap with Hanoi Police is only 1 point and the opponent still has a match left to play. After the match, Nguyen Hoang Duc expressed regret, while coach Gerard Albadalejo admitted that the team lacked decisiveness in finishing.

The Moment of Missing the Advantage and a Lesson in Focus

There were not many specific technical details released, but both the players and the coach's statements showed that Ninh Binh controlled most of the game but lacked sharpness in the decisive phase. According to Hoang Duc, the team had moments of negligence, allowing the opponent to equalize and turn the advantage into an unfortunate draw. For a leading team, moments of lapse in concentration are even more expensive.

Hoang Duc: Regret losing 2 points because of a few minutes of carelessness

Midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc frankly admitted the problem of team spirit and concentration:

"In this match, the team also tried very hard and in general, the team sometimes lost focus and let the other team equalize. Duc is very sorry that the team only got a draw.

Perhaps after this match, the whole team will learn from experience to prepare for the next match. Ninh Binh always respects its opponents and before meeting them, the whole team will also study them carefully."

Coach Gerard Albadalejo's perspective: Too much control, lack of decisiveness

Coach Gerard Albadalejo stressed that the team dominated most of the match but could not find a solution in the finishing phase:

"I feel ashamed that we could not win today's match. There were many problems that prevented Ninh Binh from finding a way to deal with the opponent and win. We controlled the match almost completely but lacked decisive shots to score."

From a tactical perspective, this is a problem of the "final third" when control is not converted into clear chances and goals. Aggressiveness in finishing, speed of decision-making in the final stages and tempo management after gaining an advantage are aspects that Ninh Binh need to refine immediately.

Impact on the 2025/26 V-League championship race

With 21 points after round 9, Ninh Binh still holds the top position. However, Hanoi Police have narrowed the gap to 1 point and still have a match left to play. This means the pressure to chase will increase in the next stage, when each misstep at home can change the competition situation.

Points to improve immediately

• Focus throughout the match, especially after taking an advantage to avoid being equalized.
• Improve the quality of your finishing decisions, turning possession into goals.
• Maintain intensity and tactical discipline against underdogs.

Match highlights through data

• Score: Ninh Binh 1-1 Becamex TP.HCM.
• Time: Round 9 V-League 2025/26, evening of November 1.
• Ranking: Ninh Binh leads with 21 points.
• Gap: 1 point more than Hanoi Police, the opponent has one match left to play.

Message from the locker room

Hoang Duc’s statement shows internal self-reflection: respecting opponents, carefully studying the playing style and learning from experience immediately. Meanwhile, coach Gerard Albadalejo’s message is a clear requirement for finishing quality and decisiveness. That is the foundation for Ninh Binh to maintain their advantage in the fierce period ahead.

V-League 2025/26 is still long, but the challenge for the top team is not to let careless moments cause key points to slip away. Facing the heat from the chasing group, each upcoming match will be a test of courage.