Nations League: Nanni rescues a late draw with Gibraltar and keeps the dream alive

At the end of a match that at times seemed almost cursed, the National Team found the strength to keep its dream alive. Had they lost, their hopes of qualification would have been over. Instead, in stoppage time Nanni wiped out the visitors’ lead from the penalty spot, itself earned from a spot-kick, and kept the hopes of promotion to League C intact, to be played for on Monday in Liechtenstein. Win there, and it will be history. Gibraltar immediately try to show up in the San Marino penalty area, but a loose pass in build-up play gifts the hosts a mass counter-attack: Ribas’ back line is all at sea, but they are bailed out by the referee’s whistle for a foul by Nanni. To put it mildly, the home crowd do not greet the decision with much enthusiasm. The so‑called feeling-out phase is broken in the 9th minute, when De Barr drives at Rossi in the box and the defender, slipping, clips the leg of the number 19. The referee points to the spot and Walker steps up: the finish is flawless, sending the ball one way and Colombo the other. The incident has the effect of shaking San Marino into life, and from that moment they set up a long siege in the opposition half. Lazzari goes to ground in the area after a shove from a defender and the Stadium erupts again, but the referee waves play on. On 18 minutes Giacomo Benvenuti shifts through the gears down the flank and whips in a tempting cross for Contadini, who is denied right on the goal line; the ball stays in the box, but both Nanni’s attempt and that of Giacomo Benvenuti are repelled by the red wall. There is more than a touch of luck about Gibraltar’s resistance. And that is underlined when Lazzari throws himself into a sliding finish on a cross from the inspired Giacomo Benvenuti, only to smash a sensational effort against the post. Not even his second effort from the ground, from the follow-up, brings joy: it drifts wide. In the meantime, though, the visitors had carved out their second clear chance of the match: a sudden ball over the top from Walker for De Barr, who looks suspiciously offside but races clean through on Colombo, only to let the keeper off the hook with a shot wide of the target. Shortly after Lazzari’s effort off the woodwork, San Marino lose the ball playing out and Scanlon pounces, surging at pace towards the penalty area before unleashing a right-footed strike that is defused by Colombo with an excellent reflex save. San Marino nevertheless remain camped in attack and fashion another huge opportunity to equalise late in the half: a diagonal from Giacomo Benvenuti finds Contadini, who controls in the area, skips past Jolley and fires in a driven cross that Nanni, with a back-heel, diverts towards the underside of the bar, only for Banda’s outstretched glove to appear to save both goal and result. In stoppage time Walker would have hit the woodwork too: the conditional is necessary, because the assistant’s flag is straight up to signal offside against Annesley, who provided the assist. Half-time arrives with no changes on either side. San Marino remain positive, but at this stage Gibraltar look more organised defensively. In the first 20 minutes the crowd only really stirs when Berardi takes on Jolley and goes down: another penalty is appealed for, only to meet the same response as in the first half. Gibraltar appear largely to be waiting for the chance to sucker-punch a San Marino team that has its tent permanently pitched in the opposition half. The right moment for the visitors seems to arrive on 67 minutes: Dante Rossi gives the ball away in a dreadful area on the edge of the box and the goal opens up for De Barr, who can practically choose whatever option he likes and opts to put his laces through it, rattling the crossbar. Let off the hook, the Titans go back to imposing their attacking pattern. They do so with the fresh legs of Zannoni, Giacopetti and then, in a triple substitution, Tosi, Fabbri and Sensoli. Barely on the pitch, Giacopetti immediately gets a shot away after a back‑heel lay-off from Nanni: a left‑footer straight at Banda, who gathers. The closing stages also heat up on the disciplinary front. Yellow cards rain down (including for Cevoli and Valli Casadei who, already on a booking, will miss Monday’s match), but above all San Marino’s crosses rain into the box, none of which, however, truly unsettle Ribas’ defenders. That is, until the 90th minute. This time Contadini cuts inside on his left yet again and delivers a ball into the area that Giacopetti flicks on towards Nanni, who is clearly held back by Jolley. Penalty, and this time the referee has no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Nanni himself takes responsibility and goes straight down the middle. A wise choice, as Banda dives for a corner and is sent the wrong way. Nanni celebrates his second goal for the National Team, drawing level with Manuel Marani. And the whole Stadium erupts with its centre-forward. But there are still many minutes of added time to play. Both sides want to win it, so all tactical plans are thrown out of the window. The more than eight minutes of extra time become an exhibition of long balls from one end to the other. One big chance falls to each side. Gibraltar’s comes from a corner: Walker swings it in, the ball bounces around the six-yard box for seconds that must feel eternal to the home defence, but no red‑socked leg is on hand to turn it in. At the other end, Nanni latches onto a long pass from Tosi, his first touch runs a little long and Banda, racing out bravely at his feet, narrows the angle and smothers the danger from the number 9. Contadini pounces on the second ball, but is flagged offside. There will be no more. The home National Team applaud their fans, who respond in kind, satisfied. It may feel like a farewell, but it is a promise: on Monday, in Liechtenstein, they will give everything to write a new page of history.  

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UEFA Nations League | San Marino–Gibraltar 1-1   SAN MARINO Colombo; G. Benvenuti (from 77' Fabbri), Cevoli, Rossi, T. Benvenuti (from 77' Tosi); Berardi (from 77' Sensoli), Valli Casadei (from 60' Zannoni), A. Golinucci, Lazzari (from 71' Giacopetti), Contadini; Nanni Substitutes: De Angelis, Zavoli, Vitaioli, E. Golinucci, Pasolini, Valentini, Mularoni Head coach: Roberto Cevoli   GIBRALTAR Banda; Jolley, Lopes, Annesley, Olivero; Torrilla, Pozo; Britto (from 89' Ronan), Walker, Scanlon (from 77' Mouelhi), De Barr Substitutes: Lopez, Victor, Chipolina, De Haro, Casciaro, El Hmidi, Bartolo, Santos, Jessop, Ronco Head coach: Julio Ribas   Referee: Igor Pajač (CRO) Assistants: Ivan Mihalj (CRO) and Vedran Ðurak (CRO) Fourth official: Tihomir Pejin (CRO) VAR: Fran Jović (CRO) AVAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO) Booked: Valli Casadei, Pozo, G. Benvenuti, Walker, Torrilla, Cevoli, Nanni, De Barr, Jolley, Annesley Attendance: 1324 Scorers: 11' pen. Walker, 90+2' pen. Nanni

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