Sporting can win its third Futsal Champions League, facing Palma Futsal in the final, which eliminated Benfica in the semifinals.
The lions, champions in 2018/19 and 2020/21, beat the Belgian Anderlecht 7-1 on Friday in the semifinals, a stage in which the Spanish Palma Futsal, hosts of the competition, beat Benfica 4-3 .
The Spanish team entered the game better, with several goal opportunities in the first minutes of play. Guitta was keeping the nets from swinging.
Sporting grew after three minutes and tried to reach the opposite goal. On a free-kick, Merlim shot past Luan Muller’s defense.
In the sixth minute, Hugo Neves appeared isolated, but failed to beat Muller.
Palma scared again the next minute. Mancuso, facing the goal, finishes off for Guitta’s new save.
The goalkeeper took advantage of the rival’s shots to shine. Cainan appeared in good position and finished off for a great intervention by Guitta.
And it also had to be Guitta who created danger up front. Creating numerical superiority in attack, the Sporting goalkeeper shot low, but the ball went slightly wide.
Six minutes from the end of the first part, Muller imitated Guitta to go on the attack, took several players out of the middle and served Rivillos for the first goal of the match.
Rivillos puts Palma ahead
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– ELEVEN Portugal (@ElevenSports_PT) May 7, 2023
Sporting only scared again at the last minute, but twice. First, João Matos shot from distance to save the goalkeeper. Then, Luan Brito prevented Cavinato’s goal at a time when Guitta was back on the attack. In the best of cases, Luan Brito defends a lateral throw-in and the ball falls to Zicky, very close, who allows the Spanish goalkeeper to save again.
In the second half, Sporting once again had a great chance to score. The ball stopped and the ball reached Cavinato who shot at the post.
The same pole did not want Sporting to tie. Shortly after, it was Pauleta who shot, but the ball hit the plate.
With seven minutes to go, the Leonese goal arrives. Corner for the lions, Cavinato shoots crooked, but the ball remains for Zicky who equalizes with his heel.
ZICKY GO
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– ELEVEN Portugal (@ElevenSports_PT) May 7, 2023
After two minutes, a long ball from Guitta to Sokolov, with his back to the goal, turns and shoots on goal. However, after seeing the VAR images, the arbitration team annulled the candidacy due to the lack of the Sporting athlete.
With three minutes remaining, Guitta went up again and fired, but the ball fell within the reach of Chaguinha who, without a goalkeeper, shot from distance, but hit the post.
At the last minute, Palma risked five for four, with an advanced goalkeeper.
Five from Palma: Luan Muller, Chaguinha, Rojas, Francisco Tomaz and Cainan.
Five from Sporting: Guitta, Erick, João Matos, Cavinato and Alex Merlim.
Substitutes for Palma: Barrón, Mancuso, Marlon, Rivillos, Oledghobad, Tayebi, Cleber, Saldise and Fabinho.
Sports substitutes: Bernardo Paçó, Diogo Santos, Tomás Paçó, Zicky, Neves, Pauleta, Sokolov, Pany Varela and Esteban.
Source: TSF
