Olympique 5 - 3 Marino BT (381679290)

29986 punters turned up at Panetta Arena, and despite threatening clouds on the horizon, no rain came. Horst Bercken was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Nicola Modenesi and Desmond Henraat. Olympique started off with a 3-4-3 lineup. Starters: Guerra - Pen, Hermus, Faro - Pomes, Alberti, Caparossa, Nachbagauer - Nassimben, Buscemi, Codispoti.

Marino BT decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players had been chosen: Ceron - Facciolo, Cuocolo, Alén - Endl, Kejlstrup, Polenghi, De Magistris, Porcaro - Sorvali, Florio.

The visitors' central defence should have had no trouble clearing the pass to S. Pomes, but the Olympique player managed to shrug them off and fired a low shot past the keeper to give his team the lead. 1 - 0! Things were going to get worse for the visitors. R. Faro squirmed through their central defence after 8 minutes, increasing the lead to 2 - 0. The crowd roared its approval when N. Guerra somehow managed to block a shot which seemed to be a certain goal by Marino BT's E. Florio 11 minutes into the game. Marino BT's defence sent a ball soaring up the middle on a beautiful counterattack with 16 minutes gone, but A. Polenghi's finish was met by the reaching hands of the keeper. The counterattacks of Marino BT were deadly and 30 minutes into the game, N. Cuocolo received a nice pass from the right flank, making it 2 - 1. V. Alén fired a shot from distance after 31 minutes, but the long shot couldn't find the net for Marino BT. 2 - 1 was the score after the first half. Olympique claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 55 percent.

Olympique solidified their lead at the 61 minute mark, as G. Buscemi dribbled the ball through the opposing central defence and scored to make it 3 - 1. I. Sorvali's lightning pace was too much for G. Alberti who could only look on as the Marino BT player blasted one home. 3 - 2. N. Cuocolo's penalty kick ended up in the arms of the keeper, preventing the equaliser, 72 minutes into the game. I. Sorvali acted with superior experience when, 73 minutes into the match, he predicted a pass, intercepted it and then finished off with a goal. 3 - 3 for Marino BT! M. Codispoti gave Olympique the lead as he successfully challenged the guests' central defenders, then slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving the keeper no chance. 4 - 3 Cheers filled the stadium as R. Nassimben broke through the visitors' central defence to put away the ball to increase the lead to 5 - 3 to Olympique. M. Codispoti wanted to play on, but the Olympique coach had other ideas, and he was replaced 78 minutes into the game by P. Caterisi. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Olympique, with 54 percent of the ball.

Most important Olympique player was R. Nassimben. On the other hand, G. Pen's play was disheartening. A. Kejlstrup performed admirably for Marino BT. G. Ceron was a disappointment, however. The match ends 5 - 3.