Futsal, no surprises in the second legs: the final will be Murata v Virtus

Tre Penne needed to win by at least six clear goals to overturn the first-leg semi-final result. Instead, it is Murata who triumph with a six-goal margin, confirming – and indeed improving on – what they had shown two days earlier and thus booking their place in a fifth consecutive final. The Black and Whites deliver virtually a monologue, starting inside the first minute, the time it takes Busignani to fire the ball past Cecchetti with a low drive from outside the area. Tre Penne feel the blow and soon after concede the 2-0, the result of Aruci’s lightning swivel and finish. Sabatino wastes the chance to make it 2-1, diverting Cola’s perfect pass onto the post with the goal gaping. After Aruci has a 3-0 disallowed for handball, Sabatino makes amends by beating Protti with a precise diagonal effort from the flank. Murata treat it as nothing more than a bump in the road, and Moretti restores the two-goal cushion for 3-1 with a goal very similar to Sabatino’s, and within three minutes (in which Dominella squanders a sitter from a Protti assist) the no. 8 in black and white calmly meets Busignani’s pass to restore a three-goal advantage for Spada’s side. Littera looks for the classic goal against his former club but is closed down by Protti, who immediately launches a counter that allows Moretti to slide in Aruci for an easy tap-in. Littera has another huge chance, this time a double one: first he is denied by Protti and then, after winning the rebound, he astonishingly misses the target with the goal at his mercy. Protti is back in the spotlight late on against Sabatino, who does brilliantly to nick the ball off Busignani but then cannot win the one-on-one with the Murata and San Marino national team goalkeeper. Before the break there is time for another glaring opportunity for Sabatino: Cola spots him free at the far post and serves up a golden ball, but the former Cailungo man sends it against the upright. That same post is clipped by Moretti after the restart, shortly before he beats Cecchetti for the third time with a powerful strike from the flank. At that point Murata ease into exhibition mode, allowing their opponents a bit more for sheer overconfidence. As when Busignani misplaces a simple pass and Cola tries to beat Giusti with a diagonal effort, without success. Or when, again from a Busignani turnover, Ercolani breaks at full speed and squares to Rossi at the far post, only for him to hesitate and miss the window for a decisive finish. Lapses in concentration aside, Murata never really lose control of the game. Littera clears Moretti’s goalbound effort off the line, while Cecchetti is forced into action to parry a thunderbolt from Mattioli. Then begins a phase of incredible missed chances from the men in black and white. It starts with Gregnanin, set up by Aruci, and continues with Marzi, who fails three seemingly straightforward finishes. Murata do eventually add a seventh: this time it is Mattioli, who then goes on to hit the post a few minutes later. That is more than enough for the Black and Whites to continue their title defence. Tre Penne, instead, must settle for the third-place play-off.

There they will face Pennarossa, who are unable to pull off the comeback against Virtus. In fact, Michelotti’s side simply copy and paste the first-leg result: another 3-1 win. The team from Acquaviva are given an early scare: Toccaceli sends a long ball for Ceccoli, who controls on the volley and – again first time – lifts a lob just over. Virtus immediately banish any nerves by taking a 1-0 lead through Zafferani, quickest to react in a scramble following a corner. Soon after they have a huge chance to make it 2-0: it falls to Stolfi, picked out by Morini at the far post, but he is incredibly wasteful from just a few steps out. Pennarossa level from a throw-in situation: Gasperoni drills the ball hard into the middle and it is deflected into his own net by Zafferani, who is back on the scoresheet for all the wrong reasons. The episode gives confidence to the men from Chiesanuova. Gasperoni tries to surprise Lonfernini from distance, but the Virtus keeper is equal to it. The game remains lively and intense. Pasqualini has a go from a free-kick, finding a deflection off the wall. Then Cevoli attempts a spectacular back-heel goal, missing the target by a whisker. At the other end, Toccaceli’s driven left-footer drifts wide, as does Gasperoni’s piledriver from the opposite – right – flank. Pasqualini also tries something very similar, with much the same outcome. The second half opens with a dangerous toe-poke from Belloni, beaten away by Bizzocchi. Around the halfway point of the period, Lonfernini flies out at Ceccoli and concedes a penalty to Pennarossa. The spot-kick is taken by Toccaceli, who blazes it over. Within two minutes things completely unravel for the Biancorossi, as Pasqualini, with the aid of a slight deflection, beats Bizzocchi and effectively stretches Virtus’ aggregate lead to four goals (including the first leg and the league-table advantage). A couple of attempts from Gasperoni do not trouble Lonfernini, while Morini, after an intricate exchange with Pasqualini, makes it 3-1 and puts the tie to bed. The final will once again be Murata v Virtus, just like in the Titano Futsal Cup. This time the Neroverdi will try to write a different ending.