BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese: third match in seven days

Third outing in a week for the sixteen sides competing in the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese. There are five early fixtures scheduled for tomorrow, one of which kicks off at 18:15 in Acquaviva: Domagnano v Murata. It is an important game above all for the Wolves, who want to build on the good performances of recent weeks by finally adding points to their tally. They have picked up just one point from their last four outings, a run in which Paolo Rossi’s men have faced three of the current top four, as well as Juvenes-Dogana – one of the form teams of the moment. Murata returned to winning ways against Libertas and are aiming to rediscover the attacking verve that made Angelini’s side the most entertaining outsider in the pack at the start of the season. By the time that match gets under way, half of the Matchday 18 programme will already have been completed. In fact, there are four fixtures scheduled for 15:00 tomorrow, two of which promise fireworks. La Fiorita go head-to-head with a Folgore side that have looked sharp of late, only narrowly edged out by Cosmos in midweek. Manfredini’s side also had to dig deep to get the better of a stubborn Faetano, harshly punished by last Tuesday’s defeat – sealed deep into stoppage time. La Fiorita will have to show they have learned their lesson, despite being without the physical presence of Mazzotti at the back. It is also a heavy absence for former coach Oscar Lasagni, with Assane Fall – one of Folgore’s standout performers – suspended. The match will be played in Fiorentino. After their emphatic midweek win, Tre Penne and Ceci will again take to the field in Domagnano. They face a Cailungo side on a run of seven straight defeats. The Rossoverdi, recently handed to Mosconi after Iencinella’s dismissal, have not found the net for 48 days. Unsurprisingly, their league position is far from rosy: the Borgo Maggiore club sit third from bottom, but Libertas’ equally poor run means that – Pennarossa aside – everyone is still in the hunt for the final available play-off spot. Tenth-placed San Giovanni are currently nine points clear. Also highly intriguing is the Fiorentino cross-town derby, to be played tomorrow at the Stadio di Montecchio. With 23 points from 17 games, Camillini’s side are enjoying an excellent season and can realistically target seventh place, where they are battling with Juvenes-Dogana and Folgore (all separated by just three points). The Rossoblù are coming off four straight wins, conceding only once in that period. Tre Fiori are not doing badly either: they are fourth, ten points off the summit. It is hard to imagine them catching La Fiorita and Virtus, who are setting a relentless pace in the title race, but De Falco’s side (their coach is suspended for the derby) remain favourites against their local rivals, who will be without Stefanelli and Diop – both banned by the sports judge. There are no fewer than three Faetano players suspended, either for yellow-card accumulation or for a red card picked up in the midweek clash with La Fiorita. It was a tough, contentious game that also resulted in lengthy bans for members of the coaching staff: Girolomoni, for example, will be unable to direct his players from the touchline for the next two matches. Next up is a delicate meeting with Libertas. The Gialloblù are just one point behind the Borgo Maggiore club, who currently occupy a berth in the Preliminary Round of the play-offs. Although they have not won since 10 December, Faetano have sent clear signs of recovery against Murata and La Fiorita. The suspensions of Terenzi, Acquarelli and Gueye will weigh heavily, giving Sperindio’s Libertas a major opportunity to pull away from a direct rival and put themselves in a position to claw back the five-point gap to San Giovanni. The Rossoneri are currently the reference side in the Castello of Borgo Maggiore and in recent outings they have shown they can go toe-to-toe with big names such as Virtus and Tre Fiori. In both cases they suffered narrow comeback defeats in which Tognacci’s team deserved more. Their victories over Cailungo, Pennarossa and San Marino Academy, on the other hand, were clear-cut, with De Angelis’ goal – thanks also to the form of the San Marino goalkeeper – remaining unbeaten. On Sunday Aprea and his team-mates face an extremely tough test. In Domagnano, Cosmos will be the visitors, chasing a tenth consecutive win. Berardi’s side have stepped up a gear, surging past Tre Fiori and Tre Penne in the table and looking ready to pounce on any slip-ups by the leading duo. At present they are eight points off top spot, and even winning all their remaining matches might not be enough for the Gialloverdi – but that very much appears to be the target set by Zulli and his team. On paper, the clash between Pennarossa and San Marino Academy looks finely balanced. The Chiesanuova club evokes sweet memories for the Under-22 side, who earned their first ever win in the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese against the Biancorossi. Dolci’s team have not improved on the draw with Cailungo on 26 November, with sixteen defeats and no wins to their name. But the numbers are misleading: Pennarossa’s squad was overhauled in January and the hour of football they produced in midweek – holding Virtus in check until Buonocunto came on – is clear proof that things have changed. San Marino Academy, by contrast, are taking home less than they deserve, and the meeting with Pennarossa could be the right occasion to get back on track and re-enter the race for the post-season, currently seven points away. Finally, arguably the most interesting match of the weekend. Virtus and Juvenes-Dogana face off at the Stadio Federico Crescentini in Fiorentino, both harbouring major ambitions. For the Neroverdi, the aim is to extend an astonishing run of 15 wins from 17 matches and to be ready to capitalise on any slip by La Fiorita – who currently top the table just one point ahead of the side coached by former player Bizzotto. Juvenes-Dogana are also in excellent shape: their five straight wins coming into this fixture have all been built on solid, complete performances. For Virtus, this is an opponent to be treated with the utmost caution; for Amati’s side, it is a chance to confirm themselves against one of the strongest teams in San Marino football. Here is the schedule for Matchday 18 of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, with every game streamed live and free on TITANI.TV:

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