HAGL sit 12th with eight points after 11 rounds, level with Thanh Hóa FC and PVF CAND, and just three points behind eighth-placed Becamex Ho Chi Minh City FC. SHB Đà Nẵng remain bottom with seven points, intensifying the congestion at the foot of the table.
Coach Lê Quang Trãi’s squad could temporarily climb out of danger with a home win, buoyed by the return of U23 star Trung Kiên from the AFC U23 Asian Cup. The nationwide boost in interest following U23 Vietnam’s performance is expected to lift attendance at Pleiku Arena.
During the league break, HAGL built momentum by winning the 2025 Thai Nguyen Four-Team Cup, beating strong domestic rivals Hanoi FC, Thể Công Viettel, and PVF CAND. HAGL also staged several friendlies against Quy Nhơn United to refine their lineup.
In the transfer window, HAGL are targeting Janclesio Almeida of Ninh Bình FC, a 1.96m defender with extensive V.League experience, to reinforce their back line for the season’s second half.
Yet their return to official competition brought disappointment. HAGL were eliminated from the National Cup after a penalty-shootout loss to PVF CAND, despite creating multiple chances but failing to finish.
SHB Đà Nẵng enter the match with renewed confidence following a 3-2 away victory over Sông Lam Nghệ An in the National Cup. The win ended a run of four league defeats and two draws. Coach Lê Đức Tuấn said the result “broke the deadlock and eased psychological pressure” as the team prepare for the relegation fight.
The two clubs met three times last season, twice in the league and once in a friendly, all ending in draws, underscoring the fine margins between them.
HAGL remain slight favourites heading into the February 1 clash, but to escape the relegation “quagmire”, the Mountain City side must deliver a sharper, more explosive performance than they have shown so far this season.