Công an Hà Nội (CAHN) were held 1-1 by Thanh Hóa in the opening game of V.League 1 round 5 at Hàng Đẫy on the evening of 22 October 2026. Nguyễn Đình Bắc put the champions ahead in the 43rd minute and Nguyễn Văn Tùng equalised in the 60th. According to VnExpress, CAHN have now gone three home games without a win, after a 1-0 defeat by Kashima Antlers in the AFC Champions League Elite and a 2-1 loss to Hà Nội FC in round 4.
Two VAR interventions
The opener came down CAHN's favoured left flank. Lê Văn Đô crossed, Phan Ngọc Tín headed against the bar and Đình Bắc nodded the rebound goalwards. Goalkeeper Nguyễn Thanh Diệp pushed it out, but referee Đỗ Khánh Nam ruled the ball had already crossed the line, Dân trí and Thanh Niên reported. Bongdaplus said it was Đình Bắc's first league goal of the season and ended a run of 7 club games without scoring.
In the 54th minute Brayan Perea headed in from Leo Artur's cross, but VAR found Lê Văn Đô offside earlier in the move. Six minutes later Thanh Hóa were level: Văn Tùng's shot deflected off Văn Đô into the near corner, leaving goalkeeper Nguyễn Filip stranded, according to VnExpress and Dân trí. Perea then headed against the post in the 67th minute.
Late on, the referee gave Thanh Hóa a penalty after Nguyễn Filip brought down Lê Văn Hoàn, only for VAR to cancel it because Văn Hoàn had been offside, VnExpress and Bongdaplus reported.
The numbers
KBVN+ match data show how one-sided the game was, and how little CAHN got from it:
| Stat | CAHN | Thanh Hóa |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 66% | 34% |
| Shots | 13 | 5 |
| On target | 5 | 3 |
| Corners | 12 | 2 |
| Fouls | 15 | 8 |
Thanh Niên said Mai Xuân Hợp's side sat deep to wear down a team with a crowded calendar; VnExpress noted this was CAHN's 10th game of the season in all competitions, at least four more than any other V.League side.
Recent meetings had favoured CAHN. Of the four previous games in KBVN+ data, Thanh Hóa won only one:
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 2024 | CAHN – Thanh Hóa | 0-1 |
| 15 Jun 2025 | Thanh Hóa – CAHN | 1-4 |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Thanh Hóa – CAHN | 1-3 |
| 17 May 2026 | CAHN – Thanh Hóa | 2-0 |
| 22 Oct 2026 | CAHN – Thanh Hóa | 1-1 |
The top three and Thanh Hóa after the draw, according to KBVN+ data:
| Team | Played | W-D-L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Công an Hà Nội | 5 | 3-1-1 | +5 | 10 |
| Ninh Bình | 4 | 3-1-0 | +5 | 10 |
| Sông Lam Nghệ An | 4 | 2-2-0 | +4 | 8 |
| Thanh Hóa | 5 | 2-1-2 | -1 | 7 |
CAHN are level on points and goal difference with Ninh Bình, who have a game in hand. Thanh Hóa, on 7 points, are seventh for now, Thanh Niên reported.
What the coaches said
Polking blamed finishing rather than fatigue, telling reporters that fitness was not the issue and that rotation was not why CAHN dropped points, according to Thanh Niên. Asked whether the club might ease off in Asia, the Brazilian said they would not give up on any competition. "We have no time to be sad or to complain," he added, according to Bongda24h, which also reported that centre-back Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh was not fully fit and his substitution had been planned.
Mai Xuân Hợp admitted regret over the cancelled penalty but said Thanh Hóa respected the game and the referee's decision, adding that survival in the V.League comes first. VnExpress noted that both clubs are under bans on registering new players; KBVN+ has covered Thanh Hóa's ban in the Matias Belli case.
What comes next
Ninh Bình will host Công an TP.HCM at 18:00 on 25 October 2026 and will go clear with a win. CAHN will visit Shanghai Port in the AFC Champions League Elite on 27 October 2026, then face Sông Lam Nghệ An in V.League round 6 on 31 October 2026. Thanh Hóa will host Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh at 17:00 on 30 October 2026.
See Công an Hà Nội fixtures and the V.League table. Our pre-match pieces: CAHN seek a response against Thanh Hóa and the round 5 schedule.
Công an Hà Nội1 – 1Thanh Hoa FC