Futsal: Crescentini and Maiani keep Tre Fiori afloat, Libertas into postseason

The penultimate matchday of the 2025-26 Regular Season in the Campionato Sammarinese di futsal has not yet resolved all the questions surrounding qualification for, and seeding of, several sides involved in the postseason. Second place in the table, as well as twelfth – the last position granting access to the play-offs – will not be decided before next Monday. There is also plenty at stake in terms of seeding for the Preliminary Round, the first stage following the end of the regular season.

Starting with the certainties, leaders Murata make the Città derby their own, defeating Tre Penne with a comprehensive 7-1 scoreline. Spada’s team show no mercy to their neighbours, inspired by a hat-trick from Mattioli. Also on target were De Angelis and Moretti – both back in action on Monday after their commitments with the National Team, where Busignani, another scorer yesterday, was unable to feature. Before the captain in black and white found the net, Aruci had also got his name on the scoresheet. Tre Penne’s consolation goal came from Littera, who made it 3-1 early in the second half. The Biancazzurri’s fourth place had long been secure in any case, exempting them from the exertions of the Preliminary Round and sending them straight through to the quarter-finals.

The same goes for Virtus and La Fiorita who, level on points in second place, have postponed the final verdict on their finishing positions to the last regular season matchday. The Acquaviva club overcame Folgore 6-2. The Falciano captain appeared on the scoresheet twice in the opening minutes: first with an own goal and then with the equaliser, both by Ercolani. By half-time, however, the Neroverdi had pulled away to 3-1 thanks to Belloni and Cevoli, who – in that order – both struck again after the interval. Bacciocchi reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute, only for the margin to return to four goals following Mularoni’s late strike. La Fiorita, by contrast, battled from behind for their win: Cosmos made the brighter start, scoring through Cerquetti and Gualtieri. Pellegrini hit a quickfire brace in two minutes before Colonna restored the Gialloverdi lead – cancelled out in stoppage time by Bernardi. The match was decided after the restart, when only the Montegiardino side found the net, specifically through Matteo Chezzi. On the back of his goal for the National Team against Albania, the wide man celebrated a club brace and three crucial points – despite the bitter aftertaste of a finale capped by a red card for a second bookable offence. In the battle for second place, head-to-head results favour Virtus, allowing Michelotti’s side to keep their fate in their own hands: a win over Pennarossa on the final day would secure the target, otherwise La Fiorita – who face Cailungo on Monday – could finish the regular season as runners-up.

There is also a major scrap for the positions of the teams destined for the Preliminary Round. Folgore, Pennarossa and Juvenes Dogana are separated by just a single point – the one that currently leaves the Falciano club alone in fifth despite their defeat yesterday. The simultaneous victories of their rivals have bunched the trio back together, and the final order at the end of the regular season could even be determined by the head-to-head mini-table. It was straightforward for Juvenes Dogana, who swept aside Faetano 11-2. Both Thomas Celli and Cavalli netted hat-tricks, while Simone Celli scored twice. Mazza, Quaranta and Cian also found the net for the Serravalle side. For the Gialloblù, Calzolari’s brace briefly halved a 4-0 deficit to 4-2, before Cellarosi’s team produced a second, devastating wave of goals. Pennarossa were equally ruthless, all but wrapping up victory over San Giovanni in the first half: Oddone had already completed his brace by the eighth minute, with the Biancorossi 3-0 up thanks also to Timpani. In the final minute of the half there was glory too for Verri who – like Matteo Chezzi – scored in the league after his first celebration on the international stage with San Marino. There were no further twists after the restart: Pennarossa ran out 4-0 winners.

A three-way tie for fifth remains a possibility, just as Domagnano and Cosmos could finish level in eighth. In that scenario, previous head-to-head results would favour the Wolves, who yesterday saw their lead wiped out by a Tre Fiori side far from resigned to letting go. Up to the 53rd minute the Gialloblù were out of the postseason, virtually four points adrift of Faetano. Alex Maiani’s strike, however, allows Bugli’s team to keep their ambitions alive beyond the horizon of the regular season. Also crucial was Crescentini’s goal, which midway through the second half halved Domagnano’s two-goal advantage, previously built by Menghi and Davide Dolcini. The gap to twelfth-placed Faetano is now three points, but the head-to-head record favours Tre Fiori. The final matchday will feature Faetano-Domagnano and Tre Fiori-Fiorentino. The Rossoblù, idle this week due to their bye, no longer have anything at stake in the competition.

Breaking free once and for all from this chaotic battle are Libertas, who were level on points with Faetano before yesterday’s games but have now opened up a safe cushion and secured their place in the Preliminary Round thanks to victory over Cailungo. The derby went the way of Borgo Maggiore thanks to four different scorers in Levani’s side: Paolini and Ciarmatori in the first half, Paesini and Giorgini after the break. The Rossoverdi tried to get back into it through Meloni (1-2), before Flammini – deep into stoppage time – scored a goal that served only to soften the blow.

This is the fixture list for Matchday 29: