V.League 1 after round five: SLNA top for the first time in over four years as six teams sit within a point

Sông Lam Nghệ An (SLNA) top the 2026/27 V.League 1 after round five, which finished on 25 October, with 11 points from 3 wins and 2 draws. VnExpress notes that it is the first time in more than four years that the Nghệ An club have led the table, and they are now the only unbeaten side in the league. Five teams sit one point behind on 10 points, separated only by goal difference.

A change at the top

SLNA laid the groundwork with a 2-0 win at Hoàng Anh Gia Lai on 23 October (HAGL 0-2 SLNA: Jairo scores against his old club). Former HAGL centre-back Jairo Rodrigues opened the scoring after 57 minutes and Trần Đức Vinh sealed it late on, according to Bongda24h, which carried a Thể thao & Văn hóa report. Tuổi Trẻ counts 10 goals scored and only 4 conceded for coach Văn Sỹ Sơn's side in five matches.

The last two games on 25 October settled the order. Ninh Bình lost 0-1 at home to Công an TP.HCM to a Jason Cummings goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time and, VnExpress noted, slipped from first to fourth. Đà Nẵng beat Hà Nội FC 1-0 through Ivan Saponjic, with the visitors down to ten men from the 18th minute after Nguyễn Anh Tiệp's red card, Thanh Niên reported.

Round five results (KBVN+/Sportmonks data):

The table after round five

The full standings from KBVN+ (Sportmonks data):

Nam Định's 4-0 win over Đồng Nai lifted them to second on a +7 goal difference; Bongda24h, carrying Thể thao & Văn hóa, sees them bouncing back from a forgettable 2025/2026 season. Champions Công an Hà Nội only drew 1-1 with Thanh Hóa and, per Bongda24h, have now gone two rounds without a win. Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh beat Hải Phòng 2-1 to complete the group of six on 10 points or more.

Hanoi's big two and Đồng Nai struggle

Hà Nội FC are 10th with 6 points. Harry Kewell's side have lost to Công an TP.HCM, SLNA and Đà Nẵng, with wins over Bắc Ninh and Công an Hà Nội in between, according to Bongda24h (via Thể thao & Văn hóa). Thể Công - Viettel are 12th with 4 points and, per Tuổi Trẻ, stretched their winless run to 4 games with a 2-2 draw against Bắc Ninh; Bongda24h adds that Bắc Ninh equalised in the 10th minute of stoppage time after Thể Công had led twice. Coach Velizar Popov has admitted he is often without five or six key players through injury, the same report said.

At the bottom, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai have 3 points and Đồng Nai just 1, with no goals scored and 10 conceded in five games, Tuổi Trẻ noted. More on Đồng Nai: Đồng Nai lose 0-4 to Nam Định, coach Việt Thắng wants to discuss leaving.

SLNA's four-year wait

VnExpress calls SLNA's position a surprise for a club that no longer spends heavily and leans on homegrown players. Their record since the league took the V-League name:

• Champions in 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2011.
• No top-three finish since; best placings were fourth in 2012, 2013 and 2018.
• Last time top of the table: after round 7, on 16 July 2022.
• The last five seasons: 5th (2022), 9th (2023), 12th (2023-2024 and 2024-2025), 9th (2025-2026).
• After round five, completed on 25 October 2026: back on top; VnExpress puts the wait at four years, three months and ten days.

What's next: round six

The standout fixture in round six is SLNA at home to champions Công an Hà Nội at 18:00 on 31 October. Hà Nội FC will host Ninh Bình at 19:15 on 30 October, and Đồng Nai will visit Hải Phòng on 31 October. Round six schedule (Vietnam time):

Follow the V.League fixtures, the V.League table and the V.League results on KBVN+.