After round 9 of the First Division: The top spot becomes unpredictable

Round 9 of the national First Division ended with several unexpected outcomes, where the top-ranked Đồng Nai team missed the opportunity to widen the distance from the chasing teams.

Had they won, Trường Tươi Đồng Nai Football Club would have accelerated their lead at the summit, creating a 6-point gap with the second-placed team. However, this ambitious club failed to meet their target. Securing only 1 point from a draw means the current gap between Trường Tươi Đồng Nai and clubs like TP.HCM, Khatoco Khánh Hòa, and Bắc Ninh is now 4-5 points.

TP.HCM Football Club has had an impressive rise to second place on the leaderboard: winning against Quảng Ninh in round 7 and defeating Khatoco Khánh Hòa in round 9. Under coach Minh Phương, they have consecutively beaten strong contenders this season. Including the 2-2 draw against Trường Tươi Đồng Nai in round 1, TP.HCM is clearly a tough opponent for top challengers, and their 17 points securing second place is well deserved.

Round 9 saw the defeat of the former leaders Khatoco Khánh Hòa. This marked their second consecutive loss — something unprecedented for the coastal Nha Trang team this season. These back-to-back defeats caused Khatoco Khánh Hòa to lose second place on the leaderboard to their rivals TP.HCM, widening the gap to 5 points behind Trường Tươi Đồng Nai (16 compared to 21).

Bắc Ninh Football Club also reached 16 points after round 9, opening up a chance to compete among the top teams. Bắc Ninh hasn’t had spectacular wins but has managed to keep close pursuit of the leading contenders. Meanwhile, Quảng Ninh dropped to mid-table after only adding 1 point in round 9.

In the battle at the bottom, TP.HCM Youth Club remains at the bottom of the standings. They played a “relegation final” against Đồng Tháp Club, ending in a 0-0 draw. This young team, with an average age in their twenties, had moments of brilliance but conceded too many goals – 21, the highest in the league. Đồng Tháp’s defense is relatively solid (only 7 goals conceded, the fewest in the league), but their attack is still weak – scoring just 4 goals, the lowest tally.

Standings after round 9 National First Division Sao Vàng Beer 2025/26: