Becamex TP.HCM and Công an Nhân dân (CAND), the two promotion favourites, both won in round 5 of Vietnam's 2026/27 First Division (Sacombank V.League 2) on 27 October. Becamex beat Cần Thơ 4-0 at Bình Dương stadium and CAND won 2-1 at Lâm Đồng in Đà Lạt. In the other games, Đại học Văn Hiến drew 1-1 with Xuân Thiện Phú Thọ and Khánh Hòa lost 0-1 at home to Bình Minh Sài Gòn.
| Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Lâm Đồng | 1-2 | Công an Nhân dân |
| Becamex TP.HCM | 4-0 | Cần Thơ |
| Đại học Văn Hiến | 1-1 | Xuân Thiện Phú Thọ |
| Khánh Hòa | 0-1 | Bình Minh Sài Gòn |
How the wins came
Gerard Albadalejo's Becamex were without captain Võ Hoàng Minh Khoa but still dominated through midfielders Đặng Anh Tuấn and Cao Văn Triền, Thanh Niên reported. Nguyễn Trần Việt Cường opened the scoring with a long-range shot, and Daniel Dos Anjos made it 2-0 before half-time by tapping in after goalkeeper Dương Văn Cường had blocked Hoàng Vũ Samson, according to SGGP. Đặng Khánh Duy turned the ball into his own net in the 75th minute while trying to cut out a Dos Anjos pass, and substitute Bùi Văn Bình lobbed the goalkeeper in the 87th minute to complete a 4-0 win. SGGP called it Becamex's biggest win of the season, coming after their defeat by Thái Nguyên in round 4.
In Đà Lạt, Nguyễn Đức Thắng's CAND went ahead in the 26th minute from a Trần Đình Tiến cross, and Tiến scored himself in the 34th minute, beating his man and finishing across goal. Lê Anh Toàn pulled one back in the 77th minute after an error by goalkeeper Nguyễn Đình Triệu, but Lâm Đồng still suffered their fourth defeat of the season, Thanh Niên reported.
Khánh Hòa, unbeaten after two wins and two draws in their first four games according to SGGP, lost for the first time. Đại học Văn Hiến were held at home by Phú Thọ, who had been bottom before the round.
The table and the promotion race
The league has 14 teams and two direct promotion places, while the bottom two drop to the Second Division, SGGP reported. Bongdaplus noted that Becamex and CAND both came down from V.League 1; before round 5 they had only 7 points, in fourth and fifth place, SGGP reported. The top five after the 27 October games, according to Thanh Niên and SGGP:
| Pos | Team | Played | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thái Nguyên | 4 | 12 | Won all four, play round 5 on 28 October |
| 2 | Hưng Yên | 4 | 10 | Goal difference +12, play round 5 on 28 October |
| 3 | Becamex TP.HCM | 5 | 10 | Goal difference +4 |
| 4 | Công an Nhân dân | 5 | 10 | Goal difference 0 |
| 5 | Bình Minh Sài Gòn | 5 | 9 | Won 1-0 at Khánh Hòa |
Thái Nguyên lead on 12 points. Khánh Hòa stay on 8 points, 1 point behind Bình Minh Sài Gòn, with Đại học Văn Hiến level on points but one place lower. At the bottom, Phú Thọ climbed to 13th with 2 points, pushing Long An to last. Thái Nguyên striker Victor Mansaray leads the scoring list with 8 goals, Tuổi Trẻ reported.
Long An change coach first
Long An became the first First Division club this season to replace their head coach. On 26 October the club let Trịnh Văn Hậu go after 1 point from four games: a 0-0 home draw with Thép Cần Thơ, away defeats by CAND (1-2) and Hưng Yên (1-3) and a 0-1 home loss to Khánh Hòa, Tuổi Trẻ reported. Veteran Huỳnh Ngọc San took his first training session the same afternoon.
San was a close assistant to Henrique Calisto when Long An won back-to-back V-League titles in 2005 and 2006, stayed on as technical director and assistant until the end of the 2017 season, and spent a few months in charge of Cần Thơ in the 2013 First Division, SGGP wrote. Team manager Phan Văn Tài Em and assistant Phan Văn Giàu, both former pupils of his, will work alongside him.
What comes next
Round 5 will finish on 28 October, starting at 15:30 with Long An vs Thái Nguyên at Tân An stadium, followed by TP.HCM vs Quy Nhơn United at 17:00 and Hưng Yên vs Huế at 18:00. Bongdaplus pointed out that Thái Nguyên and Hưng Yên are unbeaten while Long An and Huế are still without a win after four games, so the top two have a chance to pull clear again. In round 6, Long An will visit Quy Nhơn United on 1 November, according to Tuổi Trẻ. More from the domestic leagues is under Vietnam football news.