Before Round 5 of the First Division: Championship contenders clash, will the top spot change hands?

Updated schedule for Round 5 of the 2025/26 National First Division, focusing on the match between Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club and Bac Ninh FC on the last day of play.

The earliest match of Round 5 will take place on October 24 at Long An Stadium, where the home team (3 points) will face TPHCM (8 points). In the previous round, Long An lost at home against the title contender Truong Tuoi Dong Nai. Compared to TPHCM, which remains unbeaten so far (2 wins, 2 draws), Long An is still considered the underdog.

Three more matches will be held on October 25. At Thong Nhat Stadium, the “rookie derby” features Van Hien University (VHU, 4 points) likely aiming for another 3 points against Xuan Thien Phu Tho (2 points), who are second from bottom. VHU’s 1-0 win over Dong Thap last round showed that despite being new to the professional league, they are not easy to intimidate in their debut season. Meanwhile, XTPT just lost 1-3 at home to another newcomer, Tre PVFCAND.

Khatoco Khanh Hoa (9 points) will also seek victory when hosting Tre PVFCAND (7 points) at the 19/8 Stadium. Although not highly rated before the season, Khanh Hoa has started well with 3 wins and only 1 loss, most recently securing full points at Quang Ninh FC’s Cam Pha Stadium. However, newcomer TPVFCA has demonstrated strong determination and ability right in their first top-tier season. Their 3-1 away win over XTPT again highlighted their teamwork, capable of surprising similarly ranked opponents (as seen in their earlier 1-0 win at QNI’s stadium).

At Quy Nhon Stadium, there is no doubt about the home team’s goal to claim 3 points against TPHCM Youth (2 points). Despite a recent 1-3 loss away to Bac Ninh FC in Round 3, returning home will motivate coach Trinh Duy Quang’s squad, especially facing a team currently at the bottom of the temporary standings.

The last two matches will be played on October 26. At Cao Lanh Stadium, Dong Thap (2 points) will face newcomer Quang Ninh (6 points) hoping to secure their first win after some disappointing results. At home, Dong Thap has drawn twice with XTPT and TPHCM, while their two losses happened away (both 0-1 to Long An and VHU), indicating that coach Phan Thanh Binh’s team still has work to do to improve results.

The final match of this round will be an intense battle between two title contenders, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai and Bac Ninh FC. Although the 2-1 away win over Long An may not fully satisfy fans, coach Nguyen Viet Thang’s team has achieved a respectable run with their third consecutive victory. On the other side, the newcomer from the Kinh Bac region is also showing improving form with a four-match unbeaten streak (two home wins and two away draws).

Although slightly underestimated in terms of strength, coach Foiani’s squad can still aim for another unbeaten match if they perform at their best. Notably, this First Division showdown will be supported by VAR technology.