Hanoi, 10 May 2026 – Nguyen Dinh Bac continued his outstanding form by reaching the 10-goal mark as Hanoi Police FC defeated Nam Dinh FC 3-2 in Round 22, moving one step closer to the V.League 1 2025/2026 title.
The 2004-born striker made an immediate impact at Hang Day Stadium. Just seven minutes into the match, Dinh Bac sprinted past defender Dang Van Toi to meet a pass from Alan Sebastiao. After controlling the ball with his head, he drove into the penalty area before firing a powerful finish across goal to beat goalkeeper Tran Liem Dieu. The goal showcased the young forward’s speed, strength, movement, and clinical finishing ability.
Dinh Bac later sealed the victory in the 82nd minute from the penalty spot, calmly sending Liem Dieu the wrong way with a low strike into the corner. The brace brought his V.League tally to 10 goals this season, remarkably all scored in his last six matches. He has now climbed to third place in the league’s scoring chart, trailing only Lucao of The Cong Viettel by one goal and teammate Alan by four.
The record for the highest-scoring Vietnamese player in a single V.League season still belongs to Nguyen Anh Duc, who scored 17 goals in 2017, while Nguyen Tien Linh holds the record for the most goals by a U21 player with 15 in 2018.
The win on May 10 strengthened Hanoi Police FC’s grip on the title race. The team now have 57 points, 11 ahead of second-placed The Cong Viettel. A victory over Thanh Hoa in Round 23 on May 17 would officially crown them champions with three matches still remaining.
Hang Day Stadium was packed with fans hoping to witness a title celebration, but earlier in the day The Cong Viettel kept the race alive with a 2-0 win over Hong Linh Ha Tinh thanks to a brace from Bui Tien Dung.
Hanoi Police FC entered the match without captain Nguyen Quang Hai due to health issues, although Leo Artur and Alan Sebastiao returned to the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Nam Dinh rotated heavily, with coach Vu Hong Viet resting several key players ahead of the second leg of the ASEAN Club Championship semi-final against Selangor three days later.
Despite taking the lead early, Hanoi Police FC were punished for defensive mistakes. Tran Ngoc Son equalized in the 17th minute after dispossessing Bui Hoang Viet Anh before finishing at the near post. Eleven minutes later, Ngoc Son again broke through the defense and set up Tran Van Dat for an easy finish to put Nam Dinh ahead 2-1.
However, the hosts fought back after halftime. In the 53rd minute, Bui Hoang Viet Anh redeemed himself by capitalizing on a defensive mix-up between Giap Tuan Duong and goalkeeper Tran Liem Dieu to score into an empty net and level the match at 2-2.
The decisive moment came in the 76th minute when substitute Rogerio Alves was fouled inside the penalty area by Romulo. After a lengthy VAR review, referee Nguyen Manh Hai upheld the penalty decision, paving the way for Dinh Bac’s winning goal.
The comeback victory marked Hanoi Police FC’s 18th league win of the season. After 22 rounds, they have lost only once while also boasting the league’s strongest attack with 53 goals and one of the best defensive records with just 19 goals conceded.
VSN/RPT
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