League: Cosmos race out of the blocks, narrow wins for Tre Fiori and Domagnano

Cosmos restart with four goals and renewed belief, embodied by two top-class strikers in Badalassi and Rinaldi – prised away in the summer from rivals Tre Penne and La Fiorita. Libertas are anything but passive and come close to scoring when Ahib rattles the woodwork. With just seconds left in the only minute of first-half stoppage time, Badalassi breaks the deadlock with a diagonal effort from the heart of the penalty area that leaves Del Prete with no chance. After the break Lepri’s men all but wrap up the win with two quickfire goals: Rinaldi pounces on a loose ball on 52 minutes, and five minutes later Badalassi’s twisting header from a Pastorelli set-piece makes it three. Before the final whistle there is glory too for Pierri, who collects the ball on the edge of the box before picking out the top corner with his right foot. No goals in Montecchio, where Juvenes-Dogana make muted appeals over a first-half run into the box by Galeone. At the other end, Pasolini produces a crucial block on El Ardoudi, who was already sizing up a right-footed effort from the edge of the area. There is a chance apiece early in the second half as well, with Arradi lacking conviction with a free header and Bara shaving Gentilini’s upright before firing over from point-blank range following a corner. If the outcome rewards the defences, much of the credit goes to Benedettini, simply outstanding at 90+4' when he denies Paszynski, who had gone clean through on the San Marino keeper. Narrow wins for Tre Fiori and Domagnano. The Wolves inaugurated the revamped Dogana ground by getting the better of San Marino Academy Under 22. The game was played at a high tempo for this stage of the season, with the youngsters in light blue and white almost taking the lead inside the first minute through Nicolò Sancisi. Two efforts from dead-ball situations do not catch Colonna out, while Domagnano strike with their first real chance through Gozzi, who powers in a header from the edge of the six-yard box. The contest is levelled on the hour by a moment of magic from Santi: after cutting inside Cervellini, the forward unleashes a left-footed strike from 25 metres that flies into the top corner. A quarter of an hour later Giacopetti has the chance to complete the turnaround, but he fails to beat Colonna in a one-on-one. At the other end, Domagnano retake the lead on 85 minutes: from a corner, Gozzi’s air shot sparks a pinball sequence that ends with Giambalvo getting the final touch. Academy refuse to give in and, helped by a lapse in concentration from Baffoni, win a penalty through Giacopetti, who assumes responsibility from the spot. Once again, though, it is Colonna who makes the difference, guessing the shot bound for the bottom corner and – in the 90+3 minute – effectively sealing the result. There are also three goals in Acquaviva, where Tre Fiori get the better of a Folgore side that at times look the brighter outfit. Lasagni’s men threaten through Pancotti, whose effort is blocked by Nardi, but they fall behind on 28 minutes. Prandelli converts from the spot, also marking his debut for his new club with a goal: it is the first strike of the 2024–25 Campionato Sammarinese. Before the interval, Ura and Golinucci give the Tre Fiori backline some headaches, but the team from Fiorentino go in at half-time ahead. After the restart it is Folgore who start better, to the extent that the Falciano club seem on the verge of scoring at any moment: on the hour mark Pini and Nardi combine to save at the last from Miori’s seemingly certain header, but the yellow-and-blue rearguard can do nothing about Bitti’s stunning solo effort. Receiving the ball wide on the right, he bursts past Pesaresi and then beats the advancing Nardi with a delicate lob. With over fifteen minutes still to play, momentum is with Folgore – but the clear chances fall to Tre Fiori, who make them count. After Tomassini hits the bar, it is Pini who finds the left-foot half-volley that earns all three points. A neat touch and instant strike from the edge of the area give Guddo no chance: a winning debut for Girolomoni in the Fiorentino dugout. Below is the partial schedule for the opening round of the 2024–25 Campionato Sammarinese, broadcast in full live by streaming with Italian commentary on TITANI.TV.

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