Chernobyl 3 - 0 Maritimo (379594232)

Fairly good weather for football had drawn a crowd of 1020 to Wild Wild West Arena. Mathieu Jimmink was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Jorge Roberto Violeiro and Harald Meischl. Chernobyl started off with a 3-4-3 lineup. They fielded: Lévy - Gröönbo, Jordens, Angioni - Abratański, Fudali, Madej, Miazek - Ceynowa, Kubara, Wraży.

Maritimo tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. The following players took the field: Esteve - Rolnik, Jochumsen, Beedle - Króliczek, Lindenmann, Glatzl, Bagger Frandsen, Kućka - Werkmann, Del Genio.

Maritimo clearly preferred using their ability to attack in the middle. E. Angioni gave Chernobyl the lead as he successfully challenged the guests' central defenders, then slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving the keeper no chance. 1 - 0 After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, P. Abratański got himself booked. The manager of Chernobyl was not happy. Chernobyl managed to extend their lead to 2 - 0 when D. Ceynowa cut in neatly from the left side and struck a fine shot past the away team's goalkeeper. There was concern in the stands when, at the 29 minute mark, Maritimo's M. Króliczek hit the ground hard, but he refused the attention of the trainer and rejoined his teammates on the pitch. Things were going to get worse for the visitors. A. Wraży squirmed through their central defence after 37 minutes, increasing the lead to 3 - 0. At this point, it was obvious that the players of Chernobyl lowered the tempo and became more defensively oriented. Halftime score was 3 - 0. Chernobyl had most of the ball, with 56 percent of possession.

W. Jordens of Chernobyl received a yellow card after 61 minutes for unsportsmanlike behaviour. D. Ceynowa unleashed a swerving effort from the right that the visitors' keeper did well to tip wide. With 67 minutes played, D. Ceynowa of Chernobyl fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee was unimpressed, and booked him for diving. The visitors got a chance to pulling one back after 68 minutes, due to a defensive blunder leaving L. Jochumsen completely unmarked. His strike was pathetic though, easy prey for the home side's keeper. E. Angioni of Chernobyl was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle. Maritimo had a good opportunity to attack on the wing, but remembered their instructions to go for middle attacks. B. Del Genio had a couple of good opportunities to reply, but the home team's keeper G. Lévy was simply unbeatable. Maritimo's L. Beedle got himself booked for a foul. After 88 minutes, a couple of quick and successful challenges followed by a shot from just outside the penalty area by P. Abratański might have resulted in another goal for Chernobyl. However, M. Esteve made a spectacular save. Maritimo had to make a substitution after 89 minutes. L. Jochumsen limped off the field and was replaced by E. Patyciak. The Maritimo captaincy was handed to U. Lindenmann. Chernobyl claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 56 percent.

Chernobyl's top performer was clearly J. Madej. T. Gröönbo was a disappointment, however. Maritimo's best player was B. Del Genio. On the other hand, M. Esteve's play was disheartening. The match ends 3 - 0.