Potential change at the top of the futsal league table

Opening the seventh matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese di futsal will be the clash between Libertas and Tre Fiori, the first fixture of the evening on the Dogana pitch. The Granata come into the game buoyed by their progress to the next round of the Titano Futsal Cup at the expense of their “cousins” Cailungo. Penserini’s side have had a difficult start to the league campaign, collecting just one point from five matches. They will therefore look to get back on track, but will be facing one of the form teams of the moment. The Gialloblù, in fact, are on a three-game winning streak (including the Titano Futsal Cup), scoring 21 goals and conceding only three, and have the chance to close in on the summit thanks to Fiorentino’s rest day. The real big match of the round will be the first game on the Fiorentino court, namely Folgore v Virtus. The side from the Castello di Serravalle, seen as the main challengers to the leaders, are coming off a draw and a defeat which has, for the moment, cost them second place, now occupied by La Fiorita. Standing in their way are the Neroverdi, who certainly have no intention of playing the part of sacrificial victims. Pollini’s men are also looking to resume their winning ways after two consecutive defeats: one in the last league round against Tre Fiori (1-4), the other on Thursday evening in the Titano Futsal Cup, which saw them eliminated from the competition by Murata. Tre Penne and La Fiorita will get things underway in Acquaviva. A duel renewed exactly four days later, after Thursday night’s meeting in the Titano Futsal Cup, which saw the team from the Castello di Montegiardino win and advance to the next round. In the league, the Biancazzurri have put behind them the three defeats from the first three matchdays with three wins from the following three, allowing them to move away from the relegation zone. On the other side, Galli’s players arrive on the back of a streak of five league wins and two in the Titano Futsal Cup, which have also secured passage to the next round. They sit second in the table and have the opportunity to catch Fiorentino at the top thanks to the champions’ rest day. For this game and the next three, the Gialloblù will be without the suspended Mariotti, who has been handed a four-match ban. The second match of the evening on the Fiorentino court will pit San Giovanni against Faetano. The Rossoneri are still searching for their identity and this season have always come away empty-handed. On the other side, things are not going much better for Gualtieri’s men, who sit on four points. For the Gialloblù this match is an opportunity to climb away from the very foot of the table. The second fixture on the Castello di Serravalle court will see Cailungo face Pennarossa. The Rossoverdi are enduring a season below their expectations: their four league defeats and elimination from the Titano Futsal Cup at the hands of Libertas are testament to that. Up against them will be the Biancorossi, still smarting from their bitter exit from the Titano Futsal Cup against Juvenes-Dogana. Casadei’s side have been inconsistent so far; a win would lift them out of the lower reaches of the table. For Monday night’s clash they will be without Ciacci, suspended for two matches. Monday’s final game and the second to be played in Acquaviva will be Murata versus Domagnano. The Bianconeri knocked Virtus out of the Titano Futsal Cup, bouncing back from the heavy league defeat they suffered in the last round against La Fiorita, who ran out 7-1 winners. They want to get back to winning ways to continue their positive season. The Giallorossi also progressed in the cup, knocking out San Giovanni, and are coming off a league victory over Libertas two rounds ago (they had a rest day last time out). Gasperoni’s men have everything it takes to cause problems for their more highly rated opponents and, if they were to pull off a major upset, they would move clear of the danger zone. The seventh matchday will conclude on Tuesday evening with the Castello di Serravalle derby between Cosmos and Juvenes-Dogana. It is the only indoor fixture of the round and will kick off at 21:45 at the Acquaviva sports hall. The Biancorossazzurri, fired up after reaching the next round of the Titano Futsal Cup by overturning the first-leg deficit against Pennarossa, go into the game as clear favourites. In the league they have also wins in three of their five matches and are keeping pace with the teams at the top. The same cannot be said for Muccioli’s side, who are in freefall after winning on the opening day. Since then they have only recorded defeats (including in the Titano Futsal Cup). The Gialloverdi will try to bounce back but are well aware they face a very strong, in-form opponent. In previous outings, Levani’s men have relied on Cavalli as their talisman and leading scorer, but he will miss this derby after receiving a one-match ban following his red card in the previous derby against Folgore. Here is the schedule for the seventh matchday of the 2023-24 Campionato Sammarinese di futsal:

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