Serie B: the Titane prepare to host the league leaders

The second fixture in this three-match home stand will see San Marino Academy face league leaders Brescia, who have recently stretched their lead over closest chasers Como to eight points and come into the game on the back of seven straight wins. Stopping the charge of the in-form Lombardy side is the mission for the Titane, who themselves approach this clash riding a long unbeaten run (seven matches), recently "blemished" by the draw against Pro Sesto – a result that fell short of the pre-match ambitions of Giulia Fusar Poli and her team-mates. "One thing’s for sure: we’ll go out there with a different attitude compared to last Sunday,” assures the former Como midfielder. “Against Pro Sesto we paid the price for a very poor approach to the match and we don’t want to repeat that mistake. Perhaps last Sunday we were feeling the effects of the two close away trips, but this time we’ve been able to prepare properly and we’re really eager to play to the best of our ability. And of course to bring home the win." The reverse fixture was a strange one. The Titane performed well but failed to turn their dominance into goals. Brescia, by contrast, were extremely clinical and read the various phases of the game superbly. In the end they ran out 3-1 winners, coming from behind. "I remember very clearly how it felt in the reverse fixture – Fusar Poli continues – we played well, especially in the first part, but we also made mistakes that cost us dearly. On Sunday we’ll keep the lessons from that day firmly in mind. The most important thing for us is that we’ve recharged our batteries. We’ve worked a lot on tactics and on ball management. We’re expecting a tough match, especially in midfield. But we’re ready for the battle." Beyond the first meeting this season, Giulia also knows Elio Garavaglia, the Leonesse head coach, quite well: "In the past I was coached by Mister Garavaglia and I know how he works. He’s doing an excellent job with Brescia and that doesn’t surprise me. Brescia are a side with great individual quality and a commendable never-say-die attitude. We’ll have to be very wary of their attacking play, because they’re able to get plenty of players forward – especially Braida and Merli – into positions where they can really hurt you, and they usually don’t need a second invitation. We’ll need absolute focus and discipline in our defensive phase, a bit like we had against Como. Brescia will come to our place looking for all three points, but we’ll make life difficult for them. And we’ll do the same with every opponent right up to the final day of this league season." San Marino Academy–Brescia Calcio Femminile is valid for Matchday 19 of Serie B. The game will be played on Sunday in Acquaviva, with kick-off at 14:30. It will be shown live on www.elevensports.sm, with delayed coverage on San Marino RTV’s TV and web channels.