Phuong Dong visited Hai Phong for the opening round of V.League 1 on September 5th, 2026, and came away with a comfortable 4-1 victory. The visitors took all three points with three goals from Lucao, who finished the match with a hat-trick. By then, the result had already reshaped the early standings with Hai Phong sitting at the bottom.
Hai Phong struck first through M. Makaric in the 40th minute, catching the visitors off-guard. And here's the thing about these opening fixtures — one moment can shift everything, and then the game pivots. Phuong Dong responded quickly, Lucao equalising in the 51st minute before Nguyen Le Phat turned it around with a goal five minutes later.
The visitors kept knocking on the door after that, and Lucao made sure they didn't have to knock twice. He added a second in the 73rd minute, then completed his hat-trick in the 90+1st minute. Hai Phong had seen it out as best they could, but the damage was done.
To be fair, the result reflects what was coming. Phuong Dong arrive in second place with three points from one game, while Hai Phong sit 13th with none. The hosts have lost all three of their last five matches coming into this fixture, while the visitors had won two of their previous five.
What this means is clear: Phuong Dong started their campaign with momentum, and Hai Phong will need to find answers quickly. The goal difference tells the story — three goals apart after one round of matches. Sometimes a season begins with a single half, and the second half was all visitors.