Futsal: Folgore turn it around, draw enough for Domagnano

Libertas copy and paste the first-leg scoreline and book their place in the quarter-finals. Ultimately, they are the only team to overturn the pecking order from the regular season, as Faetano are unable to repeat last Monday’s exploit, while Domagnano and Pennarossa both confirm their superiority in their respective ties. The only comeback of the evening is Folgore’s. For Zonzini’s side, the night starts uphill straight away: Menghi strikes Stefanelli after 2’ and puts Faetano 4-0 up on aggregate. But there is still a very long way to go, and Folgore do not lose heart. They level on 9 minutes through Muccioli, then go 2-1 up thanks to Ottaviani. They still need two more goals to complete the job, and Semproli finds them right at the end of the first half. Even so, the tie remains on a knife edge: despite their difficulties, one goal would be enough for Faetano to go through. Folgore’s defensive phase, however, proves solid, and in the final 12 minutes they also find the two goals that remove any remaining concern for Zonzini’s men. The scorers are former Faetano player Casali and – right on the buzzer – Ercolani from the second penalty spot. Folgore qualify as the best team from the Preliminary Round and will therefore meet the side who finished fourth, Tre Penne, in the next round.

Libertas, on the other hand, will face league leaders Murata. The Granata had beaten Juvenes Dogana 4-2 in the first leg. They repeat the same scoreline in the return, taking the lead on 8 minutes despite being down to four men following Giardi’s dismissal. Cavalli cancels out Mazza’s own goal within just a minute, and the 1-1 scoreline remains unchanged for the whole of the first half and beyond. In the 39th minute, shortly after Juvenes Dogana have survived without damage the numerical disadvantage caused by Borasco’s red card, Simone Celli completes the turnaround – but again the lead lasts just 60 seconds, the time it takes Paolini to make it 2-2. Mazza’s second own goal of the night restores Libertas’ advantage and this time Juvenes Dogana are unable to respond. Indeed, in the first minute of stoppage time the Borgo Maggiore side seal their qualification with Andrea Selva’s fourth goal across the two legs.

The only team to rely on their higher league placing to reach the quarter-finals is Domagnano. The Wolves drew on Monday and draw again in the second leg, but the double ‘X’ is enough to see off Cosmos, who had finished the regular season one place below them. While the pattern remains the same – Domagnano going in front and Cosmos able to peg them back – the scoreline changes from 2-2 to 1-1. And everything happens in the second half: Vagnini makes it 1-0 to the Giallorossi on 36 minutes, Colonna levels for the Gialloverdi on 54 minutes, but in the little time remaining they cannot find the decisive touch to keep their season alive. Domagnano go through and now await Virtus. The other side that finished in the top four, La Fiorita, will instead face Pennarossa, who win the return leg against Cailungo with even less difficulty than in the first meeting. In Fiorentino it finishes with a clear-cut 5-0, opened on 11 minutes by Magnani and completed by Tamagnini, a brace from Baldani and finally Oddone.

The quarter-final ties will be played next Monday and Thursday evening on the courts of Domagnano and Fiorentino.

Here is the full picture of the Championship Preliminary Round: