Hoang Anh Gia Lai suffer first-ever home defeat to Ha Tinh

Pleiku, April 18, 2025 – A costly mistake by defender Phan Du Hoc handed Hong Linh Ha Tinh a 1-0 victory over Hoang Anh Gia Lai in Round 19 of the V-League 2024-2025 on April 18, snapping their five-match unbeaten run against the visitors at Pleiku Stadium. Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s previous home record against Hong Linh Ha Tinh included V-League wins (1-0 and 3-0 in 2020, 2-1 in 2023-2024), a 0-0 draw (2023), and a 2022 National Cup penalty shootout triumph (5-3).

The game’s decisive moment came in first-half stoppage time. Viktor Le’s left-wing cross was misjudged by Du Hoc, allowing Mbo Noel to control and fire past Tran Trung Kien from close range for the only goal. Earlier, Hoang Anh Gia Lai dominated, creating multiple chances. In the 3rd minute, Vo Dinh Lam’s curling shot from a free kick narrowly missed. At the 21st minute, a blunder by Hong Linh Ha Tinh’s Nguyen Thanh Tung gifted Dinh Quang Nho a steal. Tran Minh Vuong latched onto the loose ball, rounded Thanh Tung, and scored, but VAR and referee Tran Ngoc Anh ruled him offside after review.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai squandered two more opportunities before the break. Marciel’s 34th-minute header off Minh Vuong’s cross drifted wide, and in the 39th minute, Chau Ngoc Quang’s point-blank effort from Marciel’s corner was smothered by Thanh Tung. Hong Linh Ha Tinh nearly doubled their lead post-goal when Viktor Le’s long-range rocket struck the bar.

In the second half, Hong Linh Ha Tinh’s compact defense stifled Hoang Anh Gia Lai, limiting them to long shots like Jairo Filho’s 73rd-minute effort, which clipped a defender and sailed over. Hong Linh Ha Tinh wasted counterattacks, with Viktor’s tame 57th-minute shot and Nguyen Trong Hoang’s wayward 63rd-minute attempt. In the 89th minute, Mbo Noel’s angled strike hit Trung Kien’s arm and went out.

Hong Linh Ha Tinh’s win extended their unbeaten run to five matches (two wins, three draws), lifting them to fifth with 28 points, level with Hanoi Police FC but trailing on goal difference. Hoang Anh Gia Lai, with three losses, one draw, and one win—a 4-0 rout of Binh Duong—in their last five, stay eighth with 21 points, five clear of Binh Dinh in the relegation play-off spot. Their slump contrasts with The Cong Viettel’s steady climb, exposing gaps in consistency.