Đà Nẵng beat Hà Nội FC 1-0 at Chi Lăng Stadium on 25 October in round five of the 2026/27 V.League 1, ending a run of two straight defeats. Ivan Saponjic scored the only goal late in the first half, after the visitors had lost centre-back Nguyễn Anh Tiệp to a straight red card in the 18th minute. Hà Nội coach Harry Kewell was also shown a red card for confronting the officials after the final whistle, VnExpress reported.
An early red card and a goal before the break
Hà Nội were hit before kick-off: according to VnExpress, Phạm Xuân Mạnh was ill and could not start, so 20-year-old Anh Tiệp came in. In the 18th minute Võ Nguyên Hoàng ran on to a long ball from Quế Ngọc Hải and was brought down by Anh Tiệp, and referee Nguyễn Văn Phúc showed a straight red, SGGP reported.
Even with ten men, Hà Nội had the best chance of the half on 44 minutes, when Aymeric Faurand-Tournaire volleyed over from Nguyễn Văn Quyết's cross. Moments later Thành Chung miscontrolled, Bryan Ly nipped in, and Saponjic went past Adriel Tadeu before side-footing beyond goalkeeper Quan Văn Chuẩn, as VnExpress described it. Thanh Niên and BongdaPlus both placed the goal in first-half stoppage time.
VAR and Hà Nội's second-half pressure
Hà Nội appealed for a penalty when Nguyễn Văn Tùng went down in the box, but Phúc turned it down after a VAR review. In the second half Đà Nẵng defender Võ Huy Toàn was shown a straight red for a challenge on Xuân Mạnh, only for the card to be downgraded to a yellow after the referee looked again, according to Thanh Niên and SGGP.
BongdaPlus counted almost 60% possession for Hà Nội after the break, with 8 corners and 6 shots, 2 of them on target. A Văn Tùng cross was touched on to the bar by goalkeeper Đỗ Sỹ Huy, but the equaliser never came, even after Hai Long and Xuân Mạnh were sent on, per Thanh Niên. At the other end, SGGP said Saponjic had three more efforts inside the box without adding a second.
Anger after the whistle
VnExpress reported that Kewell ran on to the pitch at full time to protest to the referee and his two assistants, and was shown a straight red. Other Hà Nội staff and players then confronted the fourth official, arguing that the decisions had favoured the home side. Brazilian fitness coach Bruno Luis Inarra complained that his questions went unanswered and likened the officials to a mafia group, the paper said. Goalkeeper Quan Văn Chuẩn refused to shake hands with the referees.
Because of the red card, Kewell did not attend the press conference. Thanh Niên said assistant Trần Trọng Bình spoke to the media instead, calling the defeat an accident that might have ended differently had Hà Nội not gone down to ten men so early. He insisted Kewell had not used abusive words or gestures and said the club was unhappy with the red card.
Đà Nẵng coach Lê Đức Tuấn admitted his side had been under heavy pressure after two defeats and said he still sees Hà Nội as title contenders. According to Thanh Niên, he added that Joel Lopez and Quế Ngọc Hải picked up injuries after the opening goal.
Context and how the sides compare
Đà Nẵng had lost their previous two games, to HAGL and Hải Phòng (per Thanh Niên), conceding 8 goals in the process. VnExpress described Tuấn's position as badly shaken, while Hà Nội arrived on a two-match winning streak that included victory over champions Công an Hà Nội. Tuấn has now got the better of his former club twice in a little over a month: on 20 September, in a National Cup qualifier, Đà Nẵng drew 1-1 with Hà Nội and won 4-2 on penalties, VnExpress noted.
The two sides after round five (KBVN+/Sportmonks data; goals scored per VnExpress):
| After round 5 | Đà Nẵng | Hà Nội FC |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 9 | 10 |
| Won | 2 | 2 |
| Drawn | 0 | 0 |
| Lost | 3 | 3 |
| Goals scored | 7 | 5 |
| Goal difference | -4 | -4 |
| Points | 6 | 6 |
| Round 6 | Away to Công an TP.HCM, 18:00 on 1 November | Home to Ninh Bình, 19:15 on 30 October |
Đà Nẵng sit above Hà Nội on goals scored, with points and goal difference level.
What's next
Hà Nội will host Ninh Bình at 19:15 on 30 October in round six. According to Thanh Niên and to Bongda24h, which carried a Thể thao & Văn hóa report, Kewell will miss Hà Nội's next two matches on the touchline because of the red card. Đà Nẵng will travel to Công an TP.HCM for an 18:00 kick-off on 1 November.
See the V.League fixtures, the V.League results and our round-five preview: Ninh Bình host Công an TP.HCM, Đà Nẵng face Hà Nội with Lê Đức Tuấn under pressure.
Đà Nẵng1 – 0Hà Nội