BKN301 Championship: Libertas test for new leaders Cosmos

Having taken over at the top of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese in the last round, Cosmos immediately face a tricky hurdle on Matchday 21. Nicola Berardi’s side will be in action on Sunday in Montecchio (3:00 p.m., ) where they take on Libertas: the Granata sit comfortably in mid-table – sixth with 29 points – and although they come into this one on the back of two draws, they have not lost a league match since 25 November. The Gialloverdi, however, are just as impressive, boasting an extraordinary run of fifteen games unbeaten with only one defeat all season, away back on 1 October against La Fiorita. Cosmos can also claim the league’s best defence and best attack, with Prandelli leading the scoring charts. Just two points behind Berardi’s men are Tre Penne and La Fiorita, who come into the weekend in very different runs of form. Ceci’s Biancazzurri are flying in 2023 with nothing but wins so far (six in the league and two in the Coppa Titano, where they have reached the final). On Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Domagnano Tre Penne take on Juvenes-Dogana, who are instead going through a difficult spell: only four points from their last five games and coming off a narrow defeat to Virtus in the previous round. Amati’s side are in twelfth place but still fully in the mix for the play-offs. On the artificial pitch in Acquaviva, La Fiorita face Virtus in the match clou of Saturday’s early fixtures (3:00 p.m.). Manfredini’s Gialloblù are coming off the dramatic match against Domagnano which saw them slip up and surrender top spot to the aforementioned Cosmos, and they will be eager to return to winning ways after two games without a victory. Bizzotto’s Neroverdi, on the other hand, took full advantage last weekend of the slip-ups by teams above them and picked up valuable points. The Acquaviva side are unbeaten in five and a win could propel them right back into the title race. Staying with Saturday’s fixtures, there are two more important matches in the battle for play-off places in an extremely tight lower half of the table. In Montecchio, Fiorentino face San Giovanni: the Rossoblù are in great form and have been steadily picking up crucial points, climbing all the way to eighth (Malandri’s team have not lost since the derby against Tre Fiori on 4 December, putting together an eight-game unbeaten run). The Rossoneri, by contrast, sit just two points off the bottom and have not won since 12 November. At the “Federico Crescentini” in Fiorentino, Murata and Folgore will go head to head. The Bianconeri saw their good spell come to an end in the last round with a 2-0 defeat to Tre Penne, a result that leaves them still bottom, though the play-off zone remains very much within reach and only a few points away. Folgore, by contrast, are enjoying a positive run, unbeaten in three and victorious last week thanks to a 90th-minute winner against San Giovanni. Lepri’s side are firmly in seventh place, a key position for access to the Preliminary Round of the play-offs. Looking ahead to Sunday’s late fixtures, in addition to Cosmos–Libertas already mentioned above, Tre Fiori also seek crucial points against a Pennarossa side in crisis. The Gialloblù have not won in two and on Sunday will also have to do without captain De Falco and De Lucia, both suspended, as is head coach Andy Selva (also banned by the sports judge). Even so, Tre Fiori remain in the upper reaches of the table, on 38 points and six behind leaders Cosmos. Chiesanuova’s Biancorossi, meanwhile, have gone four games without a win but are still in contention for a place that would guarantee a spot in the post-season. Also on Sunday, Domagnano and Cailungo meet on the artificial pitch in Acquaviva. As mentioned, the Giallorossi are fresh from their outstanding performance against La Fiorita, which brought not only three points but also a huge morale boost. Ranocchini’s Wolves will be looking to ride that wave of confidence, while Protti’s Rossoblù – returning after their rest round – are on a run of four games without a win. But with such a tightly packed table, anything can still happen. Here is the full programme for Matchday 21 of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, as always live with free streaming and commentary on the Titani.tv platform:

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