Ababa 0 - 8 PLPLPL (382238781)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 12000 at Olimpic Ababa Stadium today. Jani Karhu was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Antti Pajuranta and Maik Klebel. Fans of both teams had been eagerly awaiting this Toscana derby and were doing their best to outshout their opponents. Ababa had chosen a strategic 4-4-2 formation. They fielded: Garato - Albericci, Franza, Lovisi, Cerri - Del Borrello, Giaccio, Bonaiuto, Sassoli - Garzillo, Giuffreda.

PLPLPL tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. Lineup: Lunardi - Cigala, Schmunk, Wufka - Princigalli, Trojahn, Gianquitto, Saiani, Petkov - Marinello, Cattel.

PLPLPL were mostly trying to use their skill at attacking on the flanks. PLPLPL's D. Gianquitto managed to lose the defenders as he advanced down the right wing and scored, putting the visitors ahead after 27 minutes. 0 - 1. After 31 minutes, a mistake by the home side's left defence allowed J. Trojahn to get through. He outclassed the home side's keeper, adding another goal for the visitors. 0 - 2. At this point, it was obvious that the players of PLPLPL lowered the tempo and became more defensively oriented. PLPLPL's D. Marinello was shown a yellow card after 35 minutes for slicing down an opponent. E. Bonaiuto of Ababa had to be helped off the pitch as an injury meant he was unable to finish the game. D. Lainà came in to finish the match. Some fine movement on the left led to a PLPLPL goal after 37 minutes, making it 0 - 3. E. Cattel was noted down as the scorer. PLPLPL increased their lead after 38 minutes when A. Wufka broke through on the right, upping the score to 0 - 4, much to the home crowd's dismay. The PLPLPL players could smell victory in the air. D. Saiani wasn't in a hurry to leave the field as he was substituted for E. Zucal after 42 minutes. Halftime score was 0 - 4. PLPLPL claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 75 percent.

The home crowd was not impressed when S. Cigala came in from the right, shooting hard to score after 51 minutes. PLPLPL were now up 0 - 5. After 61 minutes, an incisive pass through the middle gave D. Marinello a chance to increase the lead for PLPLPL, and he did not disappoint. The score was then 0 - 6. With 63 minutes played, PLPLPL put themselves up 0 - 7 after an attack from the right, caused by a defensive blunder. The scorer was E. Cattel. The visitors' E. Cattel took advantage of a misunderstanding between the home side's goalie and centre backs 66 minutes into the match. 0 - 8 for PLPLPL. By then E. Cattel had scored three goals - a hat trick! Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by PLPLPL, with 79 percent of the ball.

The most dominating Ababa player was without a doubt A. Albericci. N. Garato turned in a dismal performance, however. E. Zucal performed admirably for PLPLPL. S. Lunardi on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 0 - 8.