League: Tre Penne v Libertas kicks off the title sprint

The stand-out fixture of the 25th matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301 is actually the curtain-raiser. The last round before the break for the National Team’s commitments in the Qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany features an attractive Friday night opener. In Montecchio, tomorrow from 21:15, Tre Penne and Libertas will face off. For the Granata it will be a third game in seven days, at the end of which they will have met all of the current top three. Ceci’s side were knocked off top spot by Cosmos after the Gialloverdi’s midweek victory precisely over Libertas. Guidi’s goal, scored on 26 February, proved decisive and was defended last Tuesday, when the second half of the match – originally abandoned due to snow – was finally played. If Tre Penne win, they will return to the top of the table, with Cosmos able to respond on Saturday in Fiorentino against the Rossoblù side of the same name (15:00). Back looking down on everyone from above, Di Maio and his team-mates have no intention of easing off at the business end of the season. The title will be decided in five weeks or less, and a two-way sprint leaves no room for hesitation. The ten teams behind the future champions of San Marino, meanwhile, will have the chance to contest a post-season offering a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League. To get into that group, Fiorentino need to finish ahead of at least four sides. At present, the Rossoblù are level with Murata and Faetano, all three sitting two points off the play-off spots. In that regard, Saturday’s match in Domagnano takes on fundamental importance, when at 15:00 Juvenes-Dogana and Faetano will meet. After their derby win over Folgore, the Biancorossazzurri have the chance to land a heavy blow on their rivals, all of whom go into the weekend with the odds against them. The same, of course, applies to Faetano, who are chasing three points that would likely lift the Gialloblù into safer waters before the break, overtaking their upcoming opponents in the process. Forced but very interested spectators will be San Giovanni, who together with Juvenes-Dogana and Pennarossa are floating just above the post-season threshold. Chiesanuova’s Biancorossi face the daunting task of taking on La Fiorita (Acquaviva, 15:00), who have won only one of their last six matches and – with a rest day still to come on the final matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301 – are effectively obliged to try to win all five remaining games. There is no other way to ensure nothing is left to chance, even though Cosmos and Tre Penne currently look almost out of reach and backing a significant slip from both sides seems highly optimistic. The last of the early fixtures is Cailungo v Folgore, which on Saturday in Montecchio (15:00) will pit against each other the two teams in the poorest form of recent weeks. Coming into the game on runs of four and three consecutive defeats respectively, Protti’s and Lepri’s sides are both desperate to turn the tide. Folgore need points to nail down their place in the post-season, which has been thrown into doubt by recent losses; Cailungo are looking to close the gap on 11th place, currently seven points away and occupied by San Giovanni, who will sit this round out. Two games are scheduled for Sunday, and both look anything but straightforward to call. Inconsistent so far, Tre Fiori and Domagnano will meet at the Stadio Federico Crescentini in Fiorentino (15:00) with very different ambitions. Andy Selva’s Rossoblù, six points off top spot and with a game more than the leading pair, must try to win all of their remaining fixtures to even dream of a remarkable comeback which – as for La Fiorita – still appears unlikely. At the very least, they need results to defend third place, which could prove crucial with a view to the post-season. Domagnano, for their part, are chasing points to secure a play-off berth. The Wolves want to show that the defeat to Cosmos was just a blip against a side with greater technical resources, and confirm the good form shown in the previous outings. Rounding off the schedule is the most intriguing match of the round, tomorrow’s opener aside. On Sunday, on the artificial pitch in Montecchio (15:00), Virtus and Murata are set for a clash that promises entertainment. The Bianconeri are starting to reap the benefits of Angelini’s work, but still need more points to drag themselves clear of the danger zone. Driven on by Raul Ura – whom Virtus themselves brought into our league five years ago – Murata will be seeking a third straight win after overcoming Tre Fiori, a match in which the club from Città also kept a clean sheet. That clean sheet was only their third of the season, with the previous one dating back to 30 September 2022. It will therefore be fascinating to see them up against the league’s third-best attack, which can rely on the outstanding qualities of Buonocunto, combined with a Tortori who is looking more and more convincing. Here is the full schedule for the 25th matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301, which will be broadcast in full live and free via streaming with Italian commentary on TITANI.TV:

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