Futsal: Fiorentino and Folgore win the big clashes as Virtus turn it around

Fiorentino send another clear message to La Fiorita and the rest of the pack: for now, the top of the table is not up for debate. Gianni Galli’s side had a chance to put the champions’ leadership under pressure, but the title holders were having none of it. It’s eleven wins from eleven for Michelotti’s team, now five points clear of the chasing group, which is now led not by La Fiorita but by Folgore. Busignani breaks the deadlock at the top after not even 8 minutes. Bernardi quickly levels, but that’s just a false dawn for Montegiardino, who are forced to pick the ball out of their net on a couple more occasions before the break: Maiani and Zafferani score in that order. The seal on Fiorentino’s 11th win is applied once again by Busignani right at the start of the second half. The other big match of the day pitted Folgore against Tre Fiori, who came into Monday night’s fixture level on points in third place. There is no such clear-cut verdict here as in La Fiorita-Fiorentino, but there is still one side celebrating and one that is not. The first part of the match is lit up by a fine series of trades, the first of which comes around the 10-minute mark: Folgore go in front through Biordi, with an immediate reply from Tre Fiori via Lorenzo Burioni. Falciano’s side hit back just as quickly, though, and by the 12th minute they have already restored their lead thanks to captain Bernardi. Over? Not at all, because before the change of ends Tre Fiori manage to haul themselves back onto level terms with a goal from the other Burioni brother, Filippo. The balance holds until the closing minutes. That is when Pasqualini upsets the odds with the goal that condemns Tre Fiori to spending Christmas in fourth place and propels Folgore up to second, ahead of La Fiorita. Less high-profile but still extremely intriguing were the direct clashes involving positions lower down the table than the Fab Four. The showdown between Virtus and Juvenes-Dogana certainly lived up to expectations, the two teams having been separated by two points on the eve. Juvenes-Dogana started above their opponents but were forced to surrender that position to Acquaviva. That, in essence, is also the storyline of the match. Levani’s team were two goals to the good against Pollini’s. Strikes from Chezzi and Zonzini seemed to herald a quiet night. But the Neroverdi had other ideas. De Biagi pulled one back late in the first half (a few minutes before Gianni was sent off for a second yellow), and Aruci made it all square right at the start of the second period. The goal that completes the comeback – and lifts Virtus above their rivals in the table – is in fact an own goal, inadvertently turned in by Muccioli around the midway point of the half. There is also a win with an accompanying leap up the standings for Libertas in their game against Pennarossa. The maroon-clad side had no need for a comeback: Bacciocchi, Alex Stefanelli and the two Rossis – Davide and Francesco – hand Roberto Penserini a comfortable 4-0 lead already in the first half. Rosa pulls one back three minutes into the restart, but Libertas soon resume their barrage through further goals from Bacciocchi (securing his brace) and Mazza. Podeschi scores Pennarossa’s second of the night, before Alex Stefanelli – also a “brace-maker” – puts the cherry on top of a victory that lifts the Borgo Maggiore outfit up into tenth place. The trading of places between Virtus and Juvenes-Dogana and between Folgore and Tre Fiori plays into the hands of Domagnano and Murata, who close the gap on fourth place and temporarily shake off their cohabitation with the biancorossoazzurri. Both record a second consecutive win and neither have to sweat excessively to get the job done on the night. Domagnano cruise to a clear 5-0 over Cailungo, opened on 15 minutes by Menghi and completed by singles from Vagnini and Santarini and a brace from Lorenzo Bollini. Murata, on the other hand, do not keep a clean sheet, but still manage to take home the full spoils without too much trouble. Cosmos are breached for the first time on 9 minutes, when Moretti scores. The number 8 then doubles the advantage, before Murata are also gifted an own goal from Vicini. The closing minutes, however, are tinged yellow and green: Zafferani and Zanotti try to put a result back in doubt which, after the break, once again takes on a clear black-and-white hue: Paolo Casadei’s brace and further goals from Capicchioni and El Attar effectively cancel out Cosmos’ third of the night, scored by Mauri. Muccioli’s team slip to a second defeat in a row and could be caught this evening by Faetano, should Gualtieri’s side manage to take the points in the late fixture against Tre Penne, who in turn are aiming to catch Juvenes-Dogana. This is the as yet incomplete picture of Matchday 12, the last round before the break: Click here for the updated standings

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