Melissa 1 - 2 ACTM (283093404)

Weather conditions were fairly good for football, and Rapid Melissa Arena saw a crowd turnout of 43236. Erni Gosweiler was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Thibau Terwecoren and Maurizio Meloni. A 3-5-2 alignment was the formation of choice for Melissa. The following players took the field: Mikučianis - Girard, Halbheer, Harlay - van Commenee, Ravasio, Lavre, Baadsgaard, Piiparinen - Nenchovski, Krustovzky.

ACTM started off with a 3-5-2 lineup. They fielded: Impellizzeri - Endara, Kerdijk, Cambados - Padra, Epelbaum, Salomone, Dedič, Catalano - Rivera, Donnarumma.

At 11 minutes played, M. Krustovzky came in from the right with the intention of giving Melissa the lead, but his rocket of a shot rattled the crossbar. Melissa's A. Piiparinen tried to break through in the middle repeatedly, but couldn't get past the visitors' defenders. J. Baadsgaard got left behind when ACTM's P. Catalano made a sudden run forward after 29 minutes, finishing off with a neat strike. 0 - 1! M. Epelbaum was, after 33 minutes, almost able to extend the visitors' lead with a well placed diving header after the ball had looped into the centre, but the home side's keeper O. Mikučianis made the save. Melissa tried to even things up by sending a long ball towards the centrally placed strikers, but the visitors' defence got the best of this rather direct style of play. ACTM came close to extending their lead as P. Donnarumma delivered a low effort on goal from the right after 38 minutes, but the angle was too narrow and the shot went harmlessly into the side netting. 0 - 1 was the score after the first half. Possession in this half belonged to ACTM, who controlled the ball 52 percent of the time.

After 58 minutes, M. Krustovzky made a dash down the middle past the away team's defenders to score the goal that made it 1 - 1. As the 60 minute mark approached, the ACTM coach decided it was time for a substitution. J. Rivera reluctantly made way for D. Sirico on the pitch. W. Padra would have preferred to play on, but his coach decided otherwise. V. Obrecht entered the game for ACTM as the match clock showed 70 minutes. V. Obrecht came close to putting the visiting team one up 75 minutes into the match, following a solo raid down the middle, but O. Mikučianis managed to tip the ball to a corner. ACTM claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 54 percent.

As neither team had managed to win, extra time was called. Some good play on the left wing created an opportunity for the visitors 92 minutes into the match, and V. Obrecht wasn't about to let it go by. He got past the defenders and fired a shot that the keeper just missed. 1 - 2 for the visitors. Extra time over, ACTM were the victors! The most dominating Melissa player was without a doubt M. Krustovzky. H. van Commenee was a disappointment, however. ACTM's best player was M. Epelbaum. On the other hand, N. Cambados's play was disheartening. The match ends 1 - 2.