Futsal: Quarter-finals kick off, Fab Four back in action

With the Quarter-final bracket now complete, Monday 20 May already brings the first-leg ties of the Campionato Sammarinese futsal play-off quarter-finals. It is time, therefore, for the Fab Four – the top four sides at the end of the regular season – who, after sitting out the Preliminary Round, return to action enjoying the advantage of their higher seeding. As in the previous round, if the aggregate score is level after both legs, the team that finished higher in the regular season will go through. Defending champions Fiorentino face dark horses Libertas, who, after knocking out Domagnano against the odds, are ready to have a real go at the Rossoblu as well. Past meetings give the Granata reasons to be optimistic: they lost both regular-season encounters, but only by a single goal on each occasion. Penserini and his team-mates, as against Domagnano, must win at least one match if they are to progress. The first leg will be played on Monday evening in Dogana, kick-off at 20:15. On the same side of the draw, Tre Fiori and Juvenes-Dogana are set to do battle. This is another tie that promises to be finely balanced: Bugli’s men finished ahead of Levani’s side in the standings, but Juvenes-Dogana come into it in excellent form, with eleven consecutive wins across league and play-offs. In the regular season, moreover, Juvenes-Dogana were unbeaten against Tre Fiori: a 3-3 draw in the first phase and a 3-1 victory in the return fixture. The first leg is scheduled for Monday evening in Fiorentino at 21:45. In the bottom half of the bracket, proceedings get underway with the showdown between Folgore and Virtus. The runners-up, fresh from lifting the Titano Futsal Cup, arrive as regular-season second seeds. The Neroverdi will therefore need to win at least one of the two legs. Looking at this season’s previous meetings, it was the Falciano club who prevailed in both games. This match will also be played on Monday evening in Dogana, kick-off at 21:45. On the pitch in Fiorentino, with kick-off at 20:15, Murata and La Fiorita will face off. The Bianconeri will be without their coach Cellarosi – recently involved in a road accident, to whom we send our very best wishes for a speedy recovery. Murata also hold the advantage of a higher seeding than La Fiorita, who must therefore record at least one win over the two legs. In the first half of the regular season the Gialloblu ran out 7-1 winners, while the return match ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw. All the ingredients are there for a great tie. Below is the full schedule for the Quarter-final ties of the Campionato Sammarinese futsal play-offs, with the second legs set for Thursday 23 May:

---