MADRID, 3 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona and Mallorca Palma Futsal will face each other next Sunday (6:00 p.m.) to win the Futsal Champions League, after this Friday the Catalans have won 5-4 against Sporting de Portugal and the Balearic Islands have eliminated on penalties (3-4) against SL Benfica, after 4-4 in regulation time.
At the Demirchyan Arena SCC in Yerevan (Armenia), the Mallorcan team’s event raised the curtain on this Final Four. Benfica took the lead at minute 6:16 through Lúcio Rocha, finishing off a corner kick taken by Afonso Jesus at mid-height, and Jesús Gordillo equalized at minute 8:03, deflecting low a free kick taken by Vilian Alves.
Jacaré made it 2-1 at 10:59, from close range after another assist from Afonso Jesus, and Lúcio Rocha himself extended the ‘eagles’ advantage at the start of the second half, finishing from the side with a stomp and a shot. right hand before the departure of the rival goalkeeper, Luan Muller.
He closed the gap himself, at 33:46, thanks to a right-footed shot outside the area, and Lúcio Rocha made it 4-2 (36:32) into an empty net, with Palma’s goalkeeper-player and what seemed like the final blow. However, the defending champions gave a push that served to score 4-3 at 37:30, by Marcelo, and 4-4 at 38:38, again by Gordillo.
Although Rômulo missed a double penalty for Palma during extra time, it did not lower the morale of the current European champions. In fact, since the tie continued, Benfica lost in the penalty shootout due to the respective errors of Diego Nunes and Lúcio Rocha in the fourth and fifth shots, regardless of the fact that Marcelo missed his shot.
DECIDES A MAGISTRAL GOAL FROM MATHEUS
The second ‘semi’ also had enormous equality. Tomás Paçó opened the score for Sporting with a great goal at 54 seconds, with a high volley on the right after a throw-in from the opposite side. At 8:20, a shot by Mamadou Touré from a throw-in was deflected by Rafa Félix into his own goal, making it 1-1.
Just 28 seconds later, Juanjo Catela took a corner from the bottom and Adolfo Fernández scored 2-1 with his right foot, diving to the ground. The culés then created more dangerous chances, such as a double penalty that Catela hit the post, after the accumulation of fouls by the green and white team following a trip by Pany Varela on Touré.
Zicky Té made it 2-2 at 16:32, with a left-footed shot from close range and on a counterattack after a corner, guided by Alex Merlim. Immediately afterwards, Dídac Plana committed an innocent penalty on Zicky Té; Even though the Barça goalkeeper cleared Hugo Neves’ shot off the crossbar, he took advantage of the rebound to score 2-3 at 17:22.
The green and white joy lasted barely a minute, until Antonio Pérez scored with a low right hand from a distance and close to the post. Catela made it 4-3 shortly after returning from the break, Tatinho equalized almost immediately and Matheus Rodrigues scored a masterful goal at 31:10 to seal the final 5-4, by virtue of a reverse that he linked with a strong and high forehand.