Championship, semi-finals: everything to play for between Virtus and La Fiorita, Libertas need a miracle

It will be two days not to be missed in the BKN301 Championship with the second legs of the playoff semi-finals. Acquaviva will host both matches and, after the ninety minutes, we will know who will reach the final, which is worth a place in Europe. It all starts tomorrow with the tightest and most eagerly awaited clash: La Fiorita against Virtus. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, the two sides will go all out tomorrow at 15:00. The balance tips slightly in favour of Manfredini’s team, thanks to their better position in the regular season which, in the event of a draw, would see the Gialloblu from Montegiardino qualify. Therefore, the side coached by former player Luigi Bizzotto have only one option: they must win, by any scoreline. The head-to-head record is entirely in favour of the Acquaviva club, who beat La Fiorita both home and away in the league this season. However, if Virtus were to miss out on the Championship final, they still have the Titano Cup final (to be played in Acquaviva on 27 May) as an alternative route to book their place in the Europa Conference League qualifying round. Cosmos, on the other hand, already have one foot in the final. On Sunday – again in Acquaviva, kick-off at 15:00 – they face Libertas, taking into the second leg a 2-0 lead from the first game as well as the advantage of a better regular-season finish. A week ago Zulli and D'Addario were the match-winners for Nicola Berardi’s side who, after surrendering the title to Tre Penne by a single point, will now try to reach Europe through the playoff final. Sperindio’s Granata need something extraordinary to qualify: they must beat the Gialloverdi by at least three clear goals. Difficult, but not impossible. In disciplinary terms, Cosmos will be without Tommaso Guidi, while for Libertas only Gregorio is one booking away from suspension. Once the semi-finals are done and dusted, next week will see both finals: it starts on Friday 19 May with the play-off for 4th and 5th place, scheduled in Acquaviva at 20:45; the following day, again in Acquaviva at 20:45, the grand final that offers the coveted qualification to the European cups. Both matches will be streamed live on Titani.tv with full commentary. Here is the schedule for the BKN301 San Marino Championship playoff semi-finals:

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