Futsal: Borgo Maggiore derby goes to Cailungo after a fiery finale

Not a city derby for the faint-hearted, the one that last night involved two of the three clubs from the Castello di Borgo Maggiore: on the Acquaviva sports hall court, Cailungo and San Giovanni went head-to-head in a match with potentially huge implications in the race for the post-season. And so, perhaps, it proved: San Giovanni, beaten 5-3, remain six points adrift of 12th place, currently occupied by Libertas, while the Rossoverdi respond to Tre Fiori’s win and leapfrog their maroon cousins in the table.

Everything and its opposite happens in the game that closes Matchday 19 of the league season: in a first half almost entirely dominated by Cailungo, Rossini and his team-mates take a deserved two-goal lead (2-0) into the interval. The goal that breaks the deadlock is a stunner: Sarti hits a first-time volley on a ball that loops up at medium distance from goal, beating Manzaroli into the corner. The second comes from an effective attacking move: Gianni is in the right place at the right time to apply a simple tap-in into the back of the net as the clock ticks to 18 minutes.

Perhaps a touch of overconfidence, combined with San Giovanni’s proud reaction: in any case, after the restart Cailungo loosen their grip and squander everything good they had built in the first period – conceding goal after goal from dead-ball situations. The first is unfortunate, as Filippo Donati’s corner is deflected off Lotti’s backside and wrong-foots La Monaca. The most classic of lapses then costs them the equaliser: from a throw-in, everyone forgets about Gracik, who finds the Cailungo net with the outside of his boot; on 43 minutes it’s all square again. Riding the wave of enthusiasm, San Giovanni push on and on 50 minutes complete an incredible comeback: a pinball situation from a long-range set piece rewards the run of Magalotti, who makes it 3-2. Unbridled joy for the Rossoneri, who – alas for them – would experience the opposite emotions just a few minutes later.

A deflection off Cecchetti on Berardi’s left-footed effort wrong-foots Manzaroli and makes it 3-3, and on 54 minutes Cailungo even get their noses back in front. Gracik loses a costly ball that Meloni bravely challenges Magalotti for: the ricochet falls to Flammini, ice-cool in front of Manzaroli to swing the derby back towards the Rossoverdi. Palermino’s side are backed against the wall and opt for the flying keeper in a last-ditch assault: but a mistake in managing this tactic proves fatal. Sarti pounces like a hawk to beat Magalotti to the ball, picked out by Volpinari: his ensuing right-footed shot into the empty net seals the scoreline – which will also be the final one – at 5-3.

In the closing minutes San Giovanni’s players lose their cool: Magalotti, already booked, receives a second yellow card for a challenge from behind. There is a straight red card, meanwhile, in the second minute of added time for Volpinari: the Rossoneri captain is punished for an off-the-ball foul. This incident also results in a ten-metre free-kick in favour of Cailungo: Rossini, from the spot, crashes his effort off the crossbar – then heads against the woodwork again on the rebound, just as the final whistle rings out around the hall. A crucial win for the Rossoverdi, who maintain a three-point cushion over 13th place and move above Libertas in the standings.

Below is the full round-up of Matchday 19 of the 2025-26 Campionato Sammarinese di futsal: