Da Nang - HAGL: Decisive Battle at Chi Lang Stadium

Struggling at the bottom of the standings until round 15, Da Nang finally climbed out of the 14th position after a 1-1 draw away at Ninh Bình. Holding the strong Hoa Lư capital team to a draw on their turf and securing a crucial win against direct relegation rival PVF-CAND are optimistic signs, showcasing the great effort and determination from coach Le Duc Tuấn and his team. However, the Han River team currently only leads the bottom-placed PVF-CAND by goal difference (-6 compared to -11) as both have 11 points before round 16, but Da Nang still has one postponed match against Hanoi Police pending.

Coach Le Duc Tuấn's team is showing a strong resurgence, reigniting hopes of staying up and making the situation at the bottom of the table highly unpredictable. In the past two rounds, Da Nang has displayed a completely different face. The rapid integration of new recruits like Ngoc Hai, Ribamar, and Do Phi Long is helping the Chi Lang Stadium hosts become more solid in defense and sharper in attack.

Hosting the team currently in the bottom group, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (11th place, 14 points) at Chi Lang Stadium is considered a "six-point match." If Da Nang can defeat the Mountain City team by a two-goal margin, they would not only equalize the points but also surpass their opponent due to head-to-head record (in the first leg, HAGL defeated Da Nang 1-0 at Pleiku Stadium).

One year ago, the Chi Lang Stadium hosts faced a situation even more dire than this season. At many points, it seemed the Han River team could not recover and would have to accept staying at the bottom, facing direct relegation. But then, as the season entered its final stretch, Da Nang unexpectedly played brilliantly to rise to the penultimate position, before defeating Bình Phước 2-0 in the playoff for a promotion spot.

Currently, with 4 points gained from the last two rounds, Da Nang has escaped the bottom of the table. Clearly, compared to the same period last year, the Da Nang team has broken away earlier. If they continue their triumphant tune in welcoming HAGL, coach Le Duc Tuấn and his players will surpass the guests from the Mountain City to advance further by 1-2 positions.

If they secure another 3 points, Da Nang has the chance to overtake Thanh Hóa (12th place with 13 points).

This round, Thanh Hóa will be guests at Thiên Trường Stadium of Nam Định Steel Blue. The return of coach Vu Hong Viet has brought familiar vitality to the Nam team with two consecutive wins over Ninh Bình (3-2) and PVF-CAND (1-0).

Thanh Hóa is still immersed in a personnel crisis. Coach Mai Xuân Hợp loses two players this round due to disciplinary suspensions, leaving only 17 registered players. This round's away trip is predicted to be very difficult for the Thanh region team.

Statistics show that HAGL often achieves good results against Da Nang. In their last five encounters, the Mountain City team has won two and drawn three.

However, the form of coach Le Quang Trãi's team is not good. They have just suffered two consecutive defeats against Hanoi Police and Ho Chi Minh City Police. Similar to Da Nang, HAGL is facing many difficulties in the relegation race. Most recently, the Mountain City team also had to dispatch Technical Director Vu Tiến Thành to Ninh Bình. This will somewhat affect the professionalism and morale of the players. Mr. Thành plays a crucial role in professional decision-making at the Pleiku Stadium hosts.

HAGL is currently ranked 11th on the table and leads Da Nang and PVF-CAND by only 3 points. This gap could be closed at any moment, especially as they face a predicted difficult away trip to Chi Lang Stadium.

The spotlight match of round 16 LPBank V-League 2025-2026 between Da Nang and HAGL will take place at 18:00 on March 13. With home advantage, soaring morale, and determination to win against a direct rival, the Chi Lang Stadium hosts promise to enter the match with fiery momentum.

Expected starting lineups for both teams

Da Nang: Van Toan, Duc Anh, Duy Cương, Ngoc Hai, Hong Phúc, Lopez, Anh Tuấn, Phi Hoàng, Milan Makaric, Ribamar, Van Long

HAGL: Trung Kiên, Van Triệu, Jairo, Phước Bao, Du Học, Minh Tâm, Thanh Nhân, Ngoc Lam, Silva Marciel, Vĩnh Nguyên, Batista Conceicao