League: Virtus one step away from the title, post-season race wide open

With only three matchdays left in the regular season, every point matters. The 28th round of the Campionato Sammarinese promises great intensity and battles on all fronts: from the race for direct playoff qualification, to the places that grant access to the post-season, all the way to the fight for the San Marino league title.

The weekend opens with three matches kicking off simultaneously at 15:00. At the “Federico Crescentini” Stadium in Fiorentino we will see Libertas v San Giovanni. The Granata must pick up precious points to catch the last available playoff place, while the Rossoneri will be chasing a win that has eluded them for the past two rounds.

Also at 15:00, Pennarossa will take on San Marino Academy at the Montecchio Stadium. The Biancorossi will need to keep their intensity high to avoid slipping back into bottom place. The Titani, who have gone three months without a win, are determined to get back to winning ways and overtake Dolci’s side in the standings.

At the same time, at the “Ezio Conti” Stadium in Dogana, the Serravalle derby between Cosmos and Juvenes-Dogana will take centre stage. The Gialloverdi are aiming to consolidate their position (Selva’s side are fifth), which would secure a strong seeding for the playoffs, while the Biancorossoblu – coming off three consecutive victories – want to extend their positive run and hold on to the valuable 11th place that guarantees a post-season berth.

Saturday’s programme will be rounded off by the clash between Tre Penne and Murata, scheduled for 18:00 in Montecchio. The Biancoazzurri, who have had an up-and-down spell, need all three points to defend the last spot that gives direct access to the playoffs (seventh place). The Bianconeri, on the other hand, buoyed by a series of positive results, will look to close the gap in the table on the club from Città (five points currently separate the two sides).

All of Sunday’s fixtures will kick off at 15:00. At the Domagnano Stadium it will be Domagnano v Fiorentino. Both teams are going through a rough patch: the Giallorossi must find a win they have been missing since their match against Cailungo (1 March), which would keep them in the hunt for the post-season; the Rossoblu, meanwhile, need to get back to a positive result after a ten-week drought, to stay in contention for direct playoff qualification.

At the Montecchio Stadium, La Fiorita and Folgore will lock horns. The Gialloblu are determined to preserve their unbeaten record in the competition, staying right on the heels of leaders Virtus and hoping for a slip-up. On the other side, the Giallorossoneri need a win after three rounds without success, and will also be targeting third place – currently held by Tre Fiori – a valuable position in playoff terms.

Faetano and Virtus will meet at the Dogana Stadium, again at 15:00. The Gialloblu will try to snatch precious points off Bizzotto’s men, while the Neroverdi must keep their stunning winning streak going to turn their title dream into reality. If La Fiorita draw and there is a simultaneous victory for the Neroverdi, Virtus would mathematically secure the title with two rounds to spare. 

The round will conclude with the match between Cailungo and Tre Fiori, to be played at the Fiorentino Stadium. The Gialloblu go in as favourites, also on the strength of their emphatic 7-0 win in the reverse fixture. The Rossoverdi, however, will do everything they can to turn the game on its head and, even though they can no longer reach the post-season, they will still be chasing a positive result. The match between Cailungo and Tre Fiori will also be broadcast on the FIFA+ streaming platform.

As was the case last month, this round will again feature a referee exchange between federations. For Saturday’s match between Cosmos and Juvenes-Dogana, the referee will be David Vilanova, with Antoine Chiaramonti as fourth official and assistants Eric Machado and Joan Guiu on the lines. For Sunday’s clash between La Fiorita and Folgore, the match will be officiated by Chiaramonti, with Vilanova as fourth official and the same assistant referees as the previous day. In May, a quartet of Sammarinese match officials will in turn travel to Andorra to complete the exchange.