BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese: title to be decided on Sunday

It would be hard to imagine a more thrilling finale to the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese which, for the first time, will award the title at the end of a regular season played in a single round-robin group. Tre Penne or Cosmos: on Sunday afternoon one of the two will lift the San Marino champions trophy to the sky, also sealing a place in the Preliminary Round of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League. It is a joy Cosmos have been waiting 22 years for: spring 2001 brought the Gialloverdi’s only league title, while Tre Penne – who lifted their first crown in 2012 – are chasing a fifth Scudetto, four years on from their most recent domestic success. However, it will also be a gripping finale in the race for the play-offs, with seven teams separated by just four points. Two of them will miss out and see their season end early. That is where we start, because the early kick-offs on the final matchday of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese involve precisely the sides who have no option but to win: San Giovanni and Fiorentino. Tognacci’s men, without the suspended Boldrini, Greppi and Luca Angelini, will end the regular season by facing Libertas in the Borgo Maggiore Castle derby. Sperindio’s team have nothing left to play for in the table and will return to action in just over a week in the first leg of the quarter-finals, where they will meet whichever side finishes fifth between Tre Fiori and Virtus. The Granata will be without Perretta, banned by the sporting judge. At the same time, Folgore-Fiorentino will also be played, a decisive match for the Rossoblù. As with San Giovanni, victory is a must and a draw would mean elimination at the end of the regular season. Folgore are not going through their best spell, but their current league position would spare Lepri’s men the extra exertions of the Preliminary Round. Defending seventh place from the potential overtake of Murata, Juvenes-Dogana or Domagnano is far from a secondary objective for the Falciano club. As mentioned, Sunday will feature the two decisive fixtures in the title race. Tre Penne hold a one-point lead and have their fate in their own hands. If Ceci’s men beat Faetano in Acquaviva, the title will return to the City four years after their last triumph. Girolomoni’s side are currently in the play-off positions thanks to a superior head-to-head record against Pennarossa, who are level with them on 25 points. Luca Tomassoni will be missing after being sent off in the crucial win over Domagnano. Cosmos must win and hope Faetano can get a positive result. Berardi’s men will be champions of San Marino only if both conditions are met. Beating Tre Fiori alone would not be enough if Tre Penne win at the same time. The Gialloverdi will have to cope without suspended Tommaso Guidi, while Selva’s Gialloblù are targeting a positive result to lock down fourth place and ensure a bracket that would pit them against the runners-up only in a potential final. Even a draw would be enough for that purpose, since Virtus – even if they beat Pennarossa – would still finish fifth, unless Tre Fiori were to lose. The head-to-head record favours the Fiorentino club, who were narrowly beaten by La Fiorita last week. The defending champions, already certain of third place, have a bye this round. Acquaviva’s Neroverdi, on the other hand, will be without the injured Passaniti and must deal with a goalkeeping emergency which in the last two matchdays has forced Bizzotto to hand the gloves and the number one spot to Pedrini – a midfielder by trade. Sopranzi is also definitely out: the San Marino winger, who has scored in each of his last two appearances, is suspended along with Gori. Pennarossa know that a defeat would definitely see them miss out on the play-offs, while a draw could be enough if Faetano lose and San Giovanni and Fiorentino both fail to win in the early fixtures. A multiple tie on 26 points involving three teams – or even six – cannot be ruled out. Indeed, Murata-Domagnano and Cailungo-Juvenes-Dogana both play key roles in the race for the post-season. The Serravalle club cannot and do not want to slip up in their final match of the year against Cailungo, who sit bottom of the table and have been out of contention for a couple of weeks. Protti’s side, already stretched in recent outings, will also be without playmaker Giangrandi. There will be more than one absentee in Murata-Domagnano as well. The Bianconeri must make do without the suspended Gega, while the Lupi will be missing Ferraro and Ceccaroli. A draw would be enough for eighth-placed Murata to secure a play-off spot that looked like a mirage halfway through the season. Even though Giuseppe Angelini’s team are the best placed at this point, with ninety minutes remaining, a strange combination of results could still see the Bianconeri cruelly knocked out of the post-season bracket. Antennae up, then, for more than half the clubs in the league on this final matchday – which promises to be nothing short of spectacular. Here is the full fixture list for the 30th and final matchday of the 2022-23 BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese. All matches will be broadcast live with commentary on TITANI.TV:

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