F.C. 2 - 3 Gigione (381670164)

A brilliantly sunny day had enticed a crowd of 42505 to Kar F.C. Arena. Niklas Ivarsson was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Vittorio Ippoliti and Juha Haapiainen. F.C. had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Savorgnani - Nhạ, Grbic, Benazzato - Andabaka, Manfrini, Bortone, Lanzillotta, Delle Cave - Doré, Vojík.

Gigione started off with a 4-4-2 lineup. The following players had been chosen: Ltifi - Fornasieri, Albano, Gat, Cartwright - Estélyi, Isamit, Bruneau, Jensen - Kwang Yi, Massaguer.

Gigione took the lead 10 minutes into the game, making the score 0 - 1 after some elegant movement down the middle. A. Albano was the scorer. Some fine passing in the middle of the pitch, carving open the away defence, should have led to a goal for F.C., but M. Andabaka's shot went over the bar. 13 minutes into the match, a typically brave header by L. Kwang Yi from S. Estélyi's cross looped just over the opposing goalkeeper's desperate reach. Goal for Gigione, making the score 0 - 2. After 29 minutes a well-practised indirect free kick routine by Gigione was easily anticipated by the defenders. The players forward were so well marked, they were left with few viable options. The home side worked their way through the middle and almost got one back when E. Grbic tried to sneak the ball past the keeper. F. Ltifi was too alert for that! 0 - 2 was the score after the first half. F.C. claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 53 percent.

With 53 minutes played, L. Kwang Yi nearly put the visitors another one up as he broke through in the middle and fired from just outside the box, but his shot passed just over the bar. M. Andabaka of F.C. was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle. F.C. didn't give in and with 70 minutes played G. Benazzato was able to make the score 1 - 2 after an attack on the right. F.C.'s C. Doré made an attempt at equalising 74 minutes into the match, coming in from the right, but the ball hit the post and the defence easily cleared the rebound. The visitors' L. Kwang Yi took advantage of a misunderstanding between the home side's goalie and centre backs 77 minutes into the match. 1 - 3 for Gigione. The players of Gigione now seemed to think the job was done and acted more defensively, just waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. After a short break after 79 minutes, Gigione seemed to change their tactical approach a bit. C. Nhạ of F.C. seemed to be floating in the air as he elegantly headed in to make the score 2 - 3 after a corner kick that was nicely executed by C. Doré. F.C. had most of the ball, with 56 percent of possession.

The most dominating F.C. player was without a doubt C. Doré. However, G. Benazzato made a disastrous appearance. Gigione's best player was H. Massaguer. L. Cartwright was a disappointment, however. The match ends 2 - 3.