BKN301 Championship: Libertas complete derby comeback, Virtus make it eight in a row

A gripping, electric derby at the Castello di Borgo Maggiore between Cailungo and Libertas, with Iencinella’s Rossoverdi turning it their way after just ten minutes. The ball is won back on the edge of the final third for a neat through pass from Dragoni, who picks out Giangrandi with precision. Cailungo’s vice-captain makes no mistake and beats Benedettini with a precise left-footed diagonal that skims in just a few centimetres from the post of San Marino’s national-team goalkeeper. After the break, Sperindio – perhaps already thinking about the first leg of the BKN301 Titano Cup quarter-finals with Tre Penne (Wednesday 8 November, 20:45 – Domagnano Stadium) – turns to Alessandro Torsani, who comes off the bench and changes the course of the match. The former Fiorentino marksman is in the right place in the 75th minute to meet Greco’s pinpoint cross, himself freed on the byline by a moment of genius from Sapori. For Torsani, the task of nodding the ball into the net is relatively straightforward, finally beating a superb Masini. The Cailungo keeper can do nothing, however, to prevent the comeback being completed by a hugely important penalty converted by Mario Barone on 89 minutes. In stoppage time Cailungo’s protests intensify as they claim they should have had the same treatment for a sprawling challenge by Benedettini, which the referee judged to be legal. In Fiorentino, it is a performance to remember from Faetano. Pellegrino’s men go in front on 10 minutes thanks to a penalty converted by Brisigotti, who would repeat the feat from the spot shortly after the half-hour mark. By then, the Gialloblù had already doubled their lead through Capriotti, set up by a sensational run from Luca Terenzi. On that occasion Venturini was rather unfortunate: he produced a monumental save to deny Capriotti, only for the ball to end up in the net after a pinball sequence that also involved former Folgore man Assane Fall. Lasagni’s side hint at a reaction at the start of the second half, but Manzaroli has no intention of opening the door to an unlikely comeback from the Falciano club. In fact, it is Faetano who strike a fourth in the closing stages: Brolli loses possession on the edge of his own area, allowing Brisigotti to lay on the pass for Koné to make it 4-0, with the forward needing only to roll the ball into an empty net. For the record books only, Iuliani’s goal deep into stoppage time salvages some pride for Folgore, and Giallorossoneri fans will be hoping that pride can translate into a midweek Cup reaction against Tre Fiori (Wednesday 8 November, 20:45 – Fiorentino Stadium). At the top end of the table, only La Fiorita’s position changes among the sides in action in the early afternoon. Indeed, the big match between Cosmos and Tre Penne ends all square: for Berardi’s team it is their fifth draw in eight games, leaving them seventh and a long way off leaders Virtus. And to think that Prandelli had broken the deadlock in Acquaviva in favour of Cosmos, with a superb diving header on Pastorelli’s teasing cross. San Marino champions Tre Penne are not content to sit and watch, and pay their highly rated opponents back in kind just before the interval: from a corner, the ball falls to the right foot of Righini, who delivers a perfect cross onto the head of Barretta to level the scores. The second half is electric and hard-fought, with neither side able to land the decisive blow: Tre Penne appeal for a possible penalty on Imre Badalassi, but the referee rules there was no foul worthy of the spot-kick. As for La Fiorita: back at the ground where Manfredini’s coaching career virtually began – in Domagnano against San Giovanni – the Gialloblù show they have learned their lesson. Just a week before Christmas last year, a 2-2 draw with the Rossoneri cost Oscar Lasagni his job and opened the door to the debut in the dugout for La Fiorita’s current coach. He does, however, have two headaches to contend with at the end of a match still won at a canter. First and foremost, Sottile’s injury, which forced him to pull out after just ten minutes with what appears to be a serious problem, and secondly the straight red card shown to Rinaldi in stoppage time with the result already in the bag. In between those incidents comes a display of great authority from the Montegiardino side, who went ahead through Gasperoni on 19 minutes and doubled the lead shortly afterwards with Matteo Vitaioli – on the scoresheet in Domagnano again after his brace against Libertas. With twenty minutes of normal time remaining, Alex Ambrosini also got his name on the scoresheet in this important success for the Gialloblù, who now sit third, just a point behind Tre Penne – the first team in pursuit of Virtus. Bizzotto’s side do not let the chance slip to extend their lead, continuing their perfect run of wins this season, now up to nine in all competitions – including the San Marino Super Cup. There are more than a few potential pitfalls in the 18:15 kick-off, with a Domagnano side in excellent form that show – up against the team of the moment – that their recent three-game winning streak was anything but a fluke. Paolo Rossi’s Wolves hit back blow for blow against the Acquaviva club who, it is worth remembering, currently hold two of San Marino football’s three major trophies. After a balanced first half that rightly ends level, Virtus find a way to break the deadlock from a contentious free-kick won by Buonocunto. The Neroverdi star takes responsibility himself, whipping in a perfect ball for the run of Sabato – about whom the puns write themselves, decisive once again today. What not everyone may remember is that the Virtus defender also scored against Domagnano last season, again with a header from a Buonocunto dead ball (a corner on that occasion), netting the very first goal of the 2022-23 BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese. Whether that proves a good omen or not is for Bizzotto to discover: what is certain is that Sabato and his team-mates can today enjoy top spot and a four-point cushion over Tre Penne, their closest challengers. It is the ideal way to approach their debut as defending champions in the Titano Cup, where the Neroverdi will once again face Domagnano next Wednesday, again in Montecchio (20:45). Here is the full picture from the eighth matchday of the 2023-24 BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, which will be broadcast in full live and free on Titani.tv (Italian commentary):

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