In the past three seasons of the professional national championship, the title race has consistently gone down to the final round, with the difference between the champion and the runner-up sometimes being as narrow as goal difference or head-to-head records.
The Night Wolf V.League 1-2023/24 season seems poised to continue this tradition. With only three rounds left, no team has definitively secured the championship title.
Among the top three teams on the Night Wolf V.League 1-2023/24 leaderboard before round 23, two had to play away matches: Thep Xanh Nam Dinh and MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh. However, their results differed significantly. Thep Xanh Nam Dinh was trailing for most of their match against hosts Ho Chi Minh FC at Thong Nhat Stadium. Meanwhile, MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh managed to secure all three points despite facing a determined LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai team fighting for safety.
At Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi FC was the only top-three team playing at home in round 23. However, their opponent was formidable—the defending champions, Hanoi Police FC. Despite adverse weather conditions, with heavy rain throughout the match, the Hanoi derby was intense and thrilling.
The match ended 2-1 in favor of Hanoi FC, with the decisive goal scored by Hung Dung in the final minutes. Earlier, captain Van Quyet had missed an opportunity to extend the lead to 2-1 after failing to convert a penalty awarded following VAR intervention.
This result significantly narrowed the points gap between Thep Xanh Nam Dinh and the two trailing teams, MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh and Hanoi FC. Thep Xanh Nam Dinh’s lead over MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh is now just 4 points, while the gap with Hanoi FC is 5 points.
However, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh will have a chance to widen the gap again in round 24, scheduled for midweek. They will host Hong Linh Ha Tinh at Thien Truong Stadium, while MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh and Hanoi FC will face each other in Quy Nhon.
Similarly, the battle to avoid the play-off spot at the bottom of the table is also intense and fiercely contested. Round 23 saw both Song Lam Nghe An and LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai, the teams occupying the lower positions, lose their home matches.
In contrast, the teams just above them, Quang Nam and Hong Linh Ha Tinh, secured crucial points in round 23. This development suggests that the relegation battle may also be decided in the final rounds.
The conclusion of the Night Wolf V.League 1-2023/24 season coincides with the kickoff of EURO 2024 in Germany. Despite this overlap, the national championship maintains its appeal thanks to the dramatic battles for both the title and survival that persist until the very end.
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