Futsal: title and third place in Group B to be decided on final matchday

The penultimate round of the 2021-22 Campionato Sammarinese di futsal regular season has reopened the race for Group B play-off qualification. Exactly what Virtus were hoping for has come to pass: a Pennarossa slip-up against Cosmos, combined with a Neroverdi win over Tre Fiori. All this unfolded in Fiorentino, where the first of two back-to-back fixtures produced a sensational Cosmos comeback – with late goals in both halves. After Rinaldi’s 26th-minute opener, which would have effectively booked Pennarossa’s play-off spot, goals from Bologna on 29 minutes and Nicola Giorgini in the 60th+1 minute turned everything on its head. Including Cosmos’ own candidacy: difficult, but not impossible, is a three-way or two-way tie for third place. If all three teams finish on 19 points, Pennarossa – thanks to the better record in head-to-head clashes with their potential companions – would claim the post-season ticket. Should it instead come down to a straight tie between Cosmos and Pennarossa, goal difference would decide: at present the Biancorossi are four goals better off, but the very scenario of a tie would already imply part of that gap being closed. Virtus, on the other hand, would be eliminated in any tie-break on points, having lost both league meetings with Pennarossa. Pollini’s men overturned Tre Fiori, who had gone in front after three minutes through Zafferani, thanks to goals from Toccaceli – on 20 minutes – and Selva, who struck in the second and final minute of added time. All three sides are bunched within three points, with Virtus now just one behind Pennarossa. And the fixture list appears to favour the Acquaviva club, who face Faetano on Monday. At the same time, Pennarossa and Cosmos, on the synthetic courts of Fiorentino and Acquaviva, will have to get the better of Tre Fiori and La Fiorita – who will be battling it out for top spot in the group. The two gialloblù teams are separated by just two points, but Tre Fiori only need to avoid defeat against Pennarossa to secure first place: the head-to-head record, in fact, favours Bugli’s side. Here is the full picture from matchday 20 of the 2021-22 Campionato Sammarinese di futsal: La Fiorita have given themselves a final-day lifeline courtesy of a narrow win over Faetano. It finished 5-4 in a spectacular clash in Dogana, with the two gialloblù sides trading blows throughout. La Fiorita went ahead through Mattioli inside the opening minute, only for El Attar to level. The Faetano pivot then made it 3-2 to his side after goals from Pellegrini and Bernardi, before Massimo Moroni restored parity once more. Palermino’s men looked to have wrapped it up with Bollini and Mattioli, and Faetano could only partially respond through Bacciocchi. Now they head into the final act of the season dreaming of top spot. Fiorentino, for their part, drew level – for now – at the top. In Group A, Michelotti’s side have joined Folgore on 46 points. The Rossoblù claimed an emphatic win, beating Domagnano 3-0 after a goalless first half, with goals from Moretti, Pasqualini and Ceccoli. At the same time, Folgore suffered their first defeat of the season in the derby against Juvenes-Dogana – 3-1 to the latter. Casadei struck early for Folgore, but Borasco, Giardi and Guidi turned it around. Despite the loss, Massimiliano Spada’s team are already assured of first place: Fiorentino will sit out the final round and the head-to-head record in favour of Busignani and his team-mates long ago confirmed Falciano’s top spot, even if they were to lose to San Giovanni on the last day of the regular season. San Giovanni, meanwhile, came away empty-handed from the Borgo Maggiore derby against Libertas. The Granata went in front thanks to a Muscioni own goal, but it was 1-1 at the break after Capicchioni’s equaliser. Second-half goals from Giardi, Francesco Rossi and Ercolani then earned Libertas their sixth win in the group. Penserini’s side will close out the year against Juvenes-Dogana, with fourth place – behind Folgore, Fiorentino and Domagnano – on the line. Here is the schedule for matchday 21 of the 2021-22 Campionato Sammarinese di futsal:

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LIBERTAS F. Rossi, Giardi, Bacchiocchi, Ercolani, James, D. Rossi, Magnanelli Coach: Roberto Penserini   SAN GIOVANNI D. Agostini, L. Agostini, Volpinari, Macina, Schiano, Camilloni, Capicchioni, Muscioni, Nicolini Coach: Davide Gualtieri   Referee 1: Giovanni Notarpietro Referee 2: Sirio Lanuti Scorers: 1' og. Muscioni, 16' Capicchioni, 32' Giardi, 40' F. Rossi, Ercolani Booked: Macina  

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LA FIORITA Paoletti, Zanfino, Gennari, Chezzi, Bernardi, Bollini, Gualandi, Giuccioli, Pellegrini, Fabbri, Marchetti, Mattioli Coach: Leonardo Palermino   FAETANO Serra, Bacciocchi, Mi. Moroni, Mas. Moroni, Mar. Moroni, El Attar, Giovagnoli, Raschi Coach: Elmiro Corbelli   Referee 1: Laurentiu Ilie Referee 2: Nicolò Lerza Scorers: 1', 45' Mattioli, 6', 25' El Attar, 9' Pellegrini, 22' Bernardi, 30' Mas. Moroni, 41' Bollini, 56' Bacciocchi  

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COSMOS Burgagni, M. Giorgini, Zanotti, Reggini, Gasperoni, Mazza, N. Giorgini, Mauri, Vicini, Cervellini, Mat. Zafferani, Bologna Coach: Dante Canducci   PENNAROSSA Mar. Zafferani, Rinaldi, Brighi, Naouar, Giovanardi, Selva, Giacobbi, Zavoli, Ciarmatori, Podeschi, M. Guidi, Ciacci, A. Guidi Coach: Mattia Casadei   Referee 1: Cristian Torelli Referee 2: Luca Tura Scorers: 26' Rinaldi, 29' Bologna, 60'+1' N. Giorgini Booked: Zanotti, Selva, N. Giorgini  

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VIRTUS Bizzocchi, Pazzaglia, Toccaceli, Morganti, P. Casadei, Pascucci, Zanotti, Tamagnini, Selva, Francioni Coach: Luca Pollini   TRE FIORI Lonfernini, Sabatino, Boschi, Verri, Simoncini, Zafferani, D. Casadei, Cevoli, Morini, A. Casadei Coach: Alex Bugli   Referee 1: Luca Tura Referee 2: Cristian Tonelli Scorers: 3' Zafferani, 20' Toccaceli, 60'+2' Selva Booked: Pascucci  

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JUVENES-DOGANA Cecchetti, Santi Ugolini, Borasco, Giardi, Guidi, A. Zonzini, Bagnasco, Bacciocchi, Costantini, Frisoni, Gatti Coach: Claudio Zonzini   FOLGORE Protti, Guerra, Mainardi, Pelliccioni, Busignani, Bernardi, Felici, Chezzi, Casadei, S. Stefanelli Coach: Massimiliano Spada   Referee 1: Nicolò Lerza Referee 2: Laurentiu Ilie Scorers: 1' Casadei, 24' Borasco, 53' Giardi, 57' Guidi Booked: Guerra, Guidi  

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FIORENTINO Geri, Gasperoni, Gabrieli, Maiani, Righi, Moretti, Pasqualini, Ceccoli, Bollini, Carlini, Giacobbi, Contato, Toccaceli Coach: Matteo Michelotti   DOMAGNANO Serafini, Muraccini, Santarini, Franciosi, Baldelli, Menghi, Faetanini, Belloni, Piscaglia, Dolcini, Bollini, Zanotti, Cecchini Coach: Manuel Mussoni   Referee 1: Sirio Lanuti Referee 2: Giovanni Notarpietro Scorers: 37' Moretti, 56' Pasqualini, 59' Ceccoli

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