Championship, Grandoni and Scappini goals secure the Conference League

The last chance to reach the final of the 2025-26 Campionato Sammarinese play-offs and stay in the hunt for qualification for the next UEFA Conference League. At the “Ezio Conti” Stadium in Dogana, Virtus were tasked with protecting the two-goal cushion earned in the first leg which, in practice, had ended with a narrow win for Bizzotto’s men. However, with regular season performance used to settle situations of absolute parity, it followed that Domagnano had no option but to win by at least two clear goals. A tough assignment that was on the verge of becoming almost impossible on 12 minutes, when Scappini stepped up to the spot after an illegal challenge by Alessandro Maggioli on Zenoni. The striker, though, blazed the penalty for a possible 1-0 over the bar. Domagnano betrayed the nerves of a big occasion in which they were chasing a prestigious result: after an attempt by Zenoni, cancelled out by the referee’s whistle, Manuel Amati’s side almost gifted disaster with Marconi’s reckless back-pass, which rolled just wide. The magic of these nights, however, lies in how quickly moods can flip. On the half-hour the technical errors of Scappini and Zenoni, both on target in the first leg, proved decisive in the move which led to the penalty won by Ferraro. From eleven metres, Bonetti opened up his right foot and beat Passaniti, but only just. The advantage gained from the regular season by Virtus disappeared three minutes later: Domagnano broke quickly and the Bonetti-Ferraro axis produced the midfielder’s wonder goal, as he found the top corner from distance on 33 minutes – swinging qualification towards the giallorossi. As mentioned, the balance of favour is volatile: on 42 minutes Ferraro, the man of the moment, was sent off for a second yellow card – judged by the match officials to have made a rash challenge as Buonocunto broke away. In any case, his season ends here. The second half of suffering for his team-mates, though, started immediately: after 90 seconds Scappini had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside following a corner. Shortly afterwards Golinucci shot from close range in the heart of the box only to hit a defender, while on 50 minutes Zenoni’s cross-shot crashed against the bar after the slightest of touches from Maggioli. Once they had weathered the early storm, Domagnano seemed to adjust to being a man down – paradoxical as that may sound. In practice, though, Virtus were almost harmless for the next twenty minutes. The story changed in the final quarter of an hour, when the Neroverdi went close to the goal that would secure qualification: Marconi flicked on a Buonocunto set-piece, taking Zenoni and Golinucci – both ready to tap in from point-blank range – out of the equation. Moments later Zenoni delivered a perfect cross for Scappini’s towering header, drawing a miraculous reflex save from Maggioli. Domagnano’s impossible dream, sadly for Amati’s men, was shattered on 86 minutes. Confirming Virtus’s place in Europe, as La Fiorita had in the meantime beaten Tre Penne, was Stefano Scappini: a twisting header to meet Piscitella’s cross and make it 2-1. Bizzotto’s team survived by the skin of their teeth, and the reward is certainty of another season in UEFA competition.

The tie in Acquaviva began from a more finely balanced position, where only Tre Penne’s higher league finish differentiated them from La Fiorita at kick-off. The opening was encouraging, with Zaccaria shooting wide in response to Vivan’s early intervention to deal with an awkward back-header from team-mate Cicarelli inside the first minute. It was a lively contest, and after an ambitious lob from Zaccaria, La Fiorita threatened from a corner with Grandoni’s diving header. Further signs of a gialloblù lead came with Dormi’s long-range drive, which forced Migani into action. The Città captain and goalkeeper could do nothing, though, when the former Tre Penne man delivered a superb set-piece, allowing Grandoni’s late run to produce the opening goal. The balance now tipped in La Fiorita’s favour, the side that had hardly been troubled up to that point. Bonini’s men failed to hit the target in the first half, although they did go close on 30 minutes with Berardi’s solo run, which ended with a shot just over. At the other end, Affonso burned his marker down the flank before cutting the ball back to the left foot of Dormi, who scuffed his effort and sent the potential second goal wide. It took until the hour mark for fresh excitement: Turchetta’s wide free-kick flashed just past the post without any touch on its way through, while the ensuing La Fiorita counter-attack ended with a left-footed drive from Dormi, smothered at the second attempt by an excellent Migani. Once past the hour, Tre Penne threw caution to the wind and attacked with everything they had: Bartoli and Ferrani failed to hit the target, before Nigretti and Pieri squandered the best chances. At the other end, Migani kept alive hopes of a comeback with a monumental save to deny Affonso. For the Città club, however, there were to be no further opportunities: La Fiorita overturned the advantage dictated by regular season form and once again sealed their place in UEFA club competition. Their presence in another Coppa Titano final – against Tre Fiori, already assured of a Champions League berth – opens the door to the newest continental competition for both La Fiorita and Virtus.

Below is the outcome of the second legs of the Championship Sammarinese 2025-26 play-off semi-finals: