Thể Công Viettel host FC Seoul at 19:15 on 28 October at Hàng Đẫy Stadium in Hanoi, in the third round of AFC Champions League Two 2026/27 group E games, according to the AFC schedule. Velizar Popov's side have one point from their first two matches, while Seoul have lost both but have just been crowned K League 1 champions. The AFC says both teams need a win. According to Bóng Đá Plus, the clubs have never met, and this is Thể Công's first campaign in the competition.
Group E after two rounds
Compiled by KBVN+ from the AFC and Thanh Niên:
| Team | Played | Points | Known results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persib Bandung | 2 | 6 | Two wins, including 1-0 against Thể Công |
| Melbourne Victory | 2 | 4 | Drew with Thể Công, beat Seoul 3-0 |
| Thể Công Viettel | 2 | 1 | Drew with Melbourne Victory, lost 0-1 to Persib |
| FC Seoul | 2 | 0 | Lost both games |
Thể Công trail Melbourne Victory by three points (1 to 4). At the same time on 28 October, Persib Bandung host Melbourne Victory at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Soreang. In Thanh Niên's view, Thể Công need at least three or four points from their next two games, both against Seoul, to stay in the race to advance.
A worrying run
Bóng Đá Plus counts six straight games without a win across all competitions. In the V.League alone, Thanh Niên puts the run at four (one draw, three defeats). KBVN+ data shows the last three league results:
| Date | Round | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct | 3 | Thể Công Viettel v Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh | 1-3 |
| 19 Oct | 4 | Công an TP.HCM v Thể Công Viettel | 1-0 |
| 23 Oct | 5 | Thể Công Viettel v Bắc Ninh | 2-2 |
After five rounds, last season's runners-up have one win, one draw and three defeats, a goal difference of -2 and four points. They sit 12th, one point above 13th-placed Hoàng Anh Gia Lai. Thanh Niên noted that against Bắc Ninh, Thể Công had an extra man for the last ten minutes and still conceded an equaliser. The paper argued that the high pressing, tight defending and quick counter-attacks associated with Popov have faded, replaced by one-dimensional play down the flanks.
Bottom, but not weak
Thanh Niên warned against reading too much into the group table. Seoul fielded a second-string side in their first two Asian games while concentrating on the K League, which they won with five rounds to spare, and are expected to return to continental action with a very different look. Bóng Đá Plus also expects the Korean champions to push for points and says both teams have their strongest squads available.
There is precedent for V.League sides troubling Korean opposition. Thanh Niên recalled that Becamex TP.HCM beat Jeonbuk at Gò Đậu about ten years ago, HAGL drew with Jeonbuk in the 2022 group stage, and Hải Phòng took Incheon to extra time in a 2023 play-off.
The game will be refereed by Japan's Yamashita Yoshimi, as KBVN+ reported in Japanese referee Yamashita Yoshimi to take charge of Thể Công Viettel v K League champions FC Seoul.
What's next
After Seoul, Thể Công return to the V.League with a round-six trip to second-placed Nam Định at Thiên Trường Stadium, kicking off at 18:00 on 31 October. According to Thanh Niên, their next AFC Champions League Two fixture is also against Seoul. Follow their position in the V.League table.