The quarterfinals of the futsal Copa de España have started last night in Madrid with a bang! Both matches from last night were decided literally in the last seconds, while Inter and Palma Futsal took their duel all the way to the penalties.
Palma Futsal 2(3 - 3)4 Inter FS
A quite interesting duel between teams that are currently in top form in the LNFS justified the expectations of futsal fans worldwide.
Inter's pressure at the start of the match paid off when they were awarded a penalty after a handballing situation in the box. However, Palma Futsal's goalkeeper Fabio prevented Inter's Borja from scoring from the spot.
Both teams recorded a number of good goal-scoring opportunities from then on, with both teams hitting the woodwork. However, with two minutes on the clock in the first half, Pito put Inter in front after a long-distance shot.
In the next possession, Inter scored again! This time, Cecilio showed great composure and put a well-placed shot behind Fabio's back to extend the lead. Incredibly, but again in the next possession, Pito made use of one rebounded shot and scored for a big 3-0 Inter lead at the half!
Lesser teams would have given up, but not Palma Futsal. After exerting a lot of pressure in the second half, Lolo finally found the net after a powerful shot from the right side of the box with 13 minutes to go.
Palma Futsal continued with the pressure, eventually bringing in the flying goalkeeper to achieve an advantage. And once again, Lolo was at the right spot to put his team back in the mix with two minutes left on the clock!
The pressure paid off. 20 seconds before full time, Higor welcomed the ball in the box after a rebounded shot and leveled the match!
Match went to penalties and Inter showed better composure to eventually win the match, scoring all four of their taken shots.
Jimbee Cartagena FS 2-1 Viña Albali Valdepeñas
Last year LNFS' finalists Valdepeñas and this year's in-form Cartagena team who are close to the top of the table, played out for the spot in the Copa de España semifinal.
Valdepeñas could not have wished for a better start to the match. Their pivot, Matheus Preá, found the back of the net at the very start of the match to put his team in front.
Goal-wise, that was all for the first half of the match.
Cartagena pushed for a goal in the second half, and their efforts were expressly rewarded. Andresito scored in the first minute after the break to level the match.
And, just like at the start of the half, Andresito scored again in the very last minute of the match to put his team in front.
Andresito's two goals proved to be enough for Cartagena to secure a spot in the semifinal of the Cup.
Cartagena and Inter will play each other in the semifinal that will take place tomorrow (27 March), at 13:00 local time.
Copa de España continues today with two quarterfinal matches. Levante and Zaragoza face off at 19:15, while Barcelona and ElPozo Murcia will play from 21:00 (local times provided).
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