League: Tre Penne-La Fiorita on the way with Gibraltar officiating team

There is no doubt that Tre Penne-La Fiorita will capture the attention of San Marino football fans ahead of the 22nd matchday of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, now just around the corner. The round will kick off with tomorrow’s early fixture, followed by three matches on Saturday and three more on Sunday. In Acquaviva, from 21:15 tomorrow it will be Libertas v Fiorentino. Pietro Calzolari is a certain absentee: the midfielder has been suspended by the sports judge and will not be able to face the Granata, who want to make the most of Virtus’ rest week to close in on fourth place – currently 11 points away. The Borgo Maggiore club will also have to complete the match – suspended at half-time last Sunday – against Cosmos (postponed to a date to be confirmed, it will resume from 1-0 in favour of the Gialloverdi, ed.). Berardi’s men will be back on the pitch on Saturday in Fiorentino to face Juvenes-Dogana in the derby of the Castello di Serravalle (15:00). In the reverse fixture it was Di Maio and his team-mates who took all three points, but Amati’s boys made life very difficult for their cousins. They will try to do the same at the “Federico Crescentini”, albeit without being able to count on Stella – suspended. At the same time, but at the Domagnano ground (15:00), San Giovanni and Tre Fiori will also meet. Coach Tognacci will have to reshuffle his side, as he is suspended along with Celli and Kevin Lisi. However, the comeback win over Fiorentino has revitalised the Rossoneri, who want to prove themselves again against a title contender. Tre Fiori, coached by Andy Selva, are determined not to miss the chance to claw back precious points from Tre Penne, La Fiorita, or both. The match will be overseen by a Gibraltar refereeing team led by Warwick, assisted by Azopardi and Liñan. The fourth official, Perez, will then take charge of Tre Penne-La Fiorita. The experience of the Gibraltar officials in the San Marino championship falls within the framework of the Referee Exchange project, which will also see referees from ASA take charge of competitions in other European football set-ups similar to that of San Marino. Davide Cesarini will be out through suspension for Tre Penne, who will meet La Fiorita as league leaders. These are ten crucial days for Stefano Ceci’s side, who in midweek will face Virtus, while Cosmos will instead have their rest round. Keeping hold of top spot, regardless of the rescheduled Cosmos-Libertas match (yet to be determined, ed.), would mean a great deal for last season’s runners-up. Bearing in mind that this year the title will be awarded at the end of the regular season – therefore in nine matchdays’ time – it is clear how, for La Fiorita, the head-to-head at the “Federico Crescentini” (Sunday, 15:00) is one they simply cannot afford to get wrong. At present, the defending champions trail the leaders by three points, although Tre Penne have already had their rest week. A possible third consecutive defeat for Manfredini’s men would amount to a de facto surrender of their title defence, or very nearly. A draw would play into the hands of the chasing pack, above all Cosmos. All of this makes it easy to see how the clash in Fiorentino could prove a real watershed in the title race. Time is also running out for the teams on the right-hand side of the table to catch 11th place – the last spot that grants access to the post-season via the Preliminary Round. Currently occupying that position are Faetano, who however have just a three-point cushion over bottom side Murata. For Giuseppe Angelini, it is a must-win game despite the absence of Costantini in the heart of the defence. A victory for the Bianconeri in Saturday’s clash in Montecchio (15:00) would completely rewrite the battle for post-season qualification. Much the same applies to Pennarossa-Cailungo, who will meet on Sunday (again in Montecchio, 15:00) with the shared aim of pulling clear of positions that would bring their season to a premature end. The absences of Stelitano for Pennarossa and Bara for Cailungo are both significant. Folgore are almost safe, less so Domagnano. In the meeting between the two, scheduled at the Domagnano Stadium for Sunday (15:00), the Lupi will be chasing a third consecutive win, which would not only all but secure a post-season berth, but also put real pressure on Folgore in seventh place and thus offer a chance to avoid the Preliminary Round. There is only one suspended player: Baffoni will be missing for Domagnano. Here is the full schedule for the 22nd matchday of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, which will all be broadcast live and free via streaming with Italian commentary on TITANI.TV:

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