Mannitos 3 - 2 Blutgrätsche (251341690)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 32000 at Schlachtbahn Wacker 06 today. Aad Hajer was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Peter Gasser and Reino Laituri . Mannitos started off with a 4-5-1 lineup. They fielded: Hernández - Kurbjuweit, Mattmer, Brandgård, Agnoli - Dalum, Vinnari, Folino, Kottke, Angrilli - Markewitz.

Blutgrätsche decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players took the field: Chaulet - Hauru, Olivares, Rambert - Bergamin, Donder, Uščiauskas, Ulloa, Enschede - Roncal, Henriksen.

Blutgrätsche clearly preferred using their ability to attack in the middle. 6 minutes into the match and the home team took a 1 - 0 lead after breaking through on the left. The scorer for Mannitos was M. Kurbjuweit. 10 minutes in, Mannitos's J. Markewitz received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. After 14 minutes, the visitors levelled the scores after M. Enschede made it through the middle and struck home to make it 1 - 1. Mannitos fans held their breath as T. Kottke scampered down the left side. He successfully avoided all challenges and cracked home the shot for 2 - 1! 2 - 1 was the score after the first half. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Mannitos, with 52 percent of the ball.

Mannitos's A. Agnoli placed the ball right at his teammate's feet after a corner, but H. Vinnari couldn't finish. The home crowd was dismayed when the referee called a penalty for Blutgrätsche after 67 minutes. J. Henriksen calmly took the shot and scored. The game was level at 2 - 2. After some beautiful movement down the left wing, V. Folino scored for Mannitos putting them ahead 3 - 2, after 72 minutes. The home side's V. Folino came close to extending the lead 74 minutes into the game. His shot came in from the right hand side but A. Chaulet managed to save it with an unbelievable reaction stop. Blutgrätsche's coach was not happy when J. Henriksen missed a penalty 75 minutes into the match. F. Olivares of Blutgrätsche received a yellow card after 77 minutes for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Good work by the Mannitos defensive line after 78 minutes produced a good counterattack chance, which cut elegantly down the middle of the pitch and found T. Kottke alone in front of the goal, but his shot whistled just wide. This part of the game was a standoff between the teams in terms of possession.

The most dominating Mannitos player was without a doubt T. Kottke. On the other hand, R. Mattmer's play was disheartening. P. Donder performed admirably for Blutgrätsche. M. Rambert turned in a dismal performance, however. The match ends 3 - 2.