The debutant and host Spanish team defeats Benfica and will face Sporting for the title
MADRID, 5 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Mallorca Palma Futsal beat SL Benfica (4-3) this Friday in the second semifinal of the ‘Final Four’ of the Futsal Champions League, which it hosts at the Velódromo Illes Balears in Palma de Mallorca, a triumph epic until the last tenth of a second that quotes him for the title against Sporting.
The Spanish team, debuting among the four best teams in Europe, signed a great first half and knew how to respond to the reaction of the 2010 European champion. Benfica, jinxed in this round of ‘semis’ since then, came to score 4 -4 with 0.5 seconds remaining, but the referees reviewed the play and annulled Arhtur’s goal for being out of time.
With epic and drama, like the best futsal matches, Palma will try to succeed Barça in the list of winners of the European Cup, although opposite, on Sunday at 8:00 p.m., they will have a more fearsome rival if possible, the also Portuguese Sporting. The two-time European champion (2019 and 2020) thrashed Anderlecht, executioner of the Catalans, in the first semifinal.
Palma proved that ‘be careful what you wish for, it doesn’t come true’ with a spectacular first half, after which they had to manage the vertigo at a historic pace. The debutant and host had a minute and 30 seconds left to go 3-0 at half-time, but 3-1: a double from Tayebi and another goal from Mancuso, would have signed it in the previous one.
Antonio Vadillo’s men led 2-0 after five minutes, with a great start by Cainan forcing a penalty and attacking with everything until he saw a yellow card. Muller did not take long to appear under the sticks to stop a Benfica that had very dangerous arreónes. The defensive solidity throughout the year did not abandon Palma at a key moment and, after a great play by Rivillos, two-time champion with Inter, Tayebi made it 3-0 again.
However, Chishkala closed the gap with a good kick when the first half was dying. Benfica also came back strong from the break, with a 3-2 lead from a Gugiel who, in addition to stopping, was encouraged by a successful shot 23 seconds after the restart. Palma did not feel that vertigo and in fact responded with Cainan’s 4-2 almost immediately.
After an exchange of occasions, Palma began to suffer without the ball, but once again had the option of sentencing Vinicius Rocha with a red card after a review by the referees. The host did not take advantage of the superiority and, six from the end, Sobral made it 4-3. Palma, with Tayebi injured as well as heartbroken on the wing, held on on their feet and got the ticket to the final with the biggest drama of a rival goal on the buzzer that did not go up by a few tenths.