Ninh Binh return to V-League Top 3 after 2-1 win over Hai Phong

Right after kickoff, both teams adopted an open attacking approach. However, the deadlock was not broken until the 16th minute, when Hoang Duc found the back of the net to give Ninh Binh the lead.

The home side continued to dominate after the opener. In the 28th minute, Hoang Duc scored again following an assist from Tien Anh. Nevertheless, VAR ruled that Tien Anh had been offside earlier in the move, and the goal was disallowed. Hai Phong also created several dangerous opportunities during the first half.

After the break, the visitors pushed forward in search of an equalizer. However, Hai Phong conceded again in the 56th minute after Luiz Antonio committed a foul inside the penalty area, leading the referee to award a penalty to Ninh Binh. From the spot, Fred Friday calmly beat goalkeeper Dinh Trieu to double the lead to 2-0.

It was not until the 91st minute that Luiz Antonio made amends for the visitors with a stunning curling strike from outside the box to reduce the gap.

Despite the late goal, Hai Phong could not change the outcome. Ninh Binh eventually claimed a 2-1 victory, moving up to third place in the V.League standings with 41 points.

Meanwhile, Hai Phong remain in the 7th place with 28 points./.