NKV 2 - 2 ISD (382737758)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 50581 at Vodka arena today. Armando Marquert was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Juan Larrique and Franck Astrup Jensen. A 4-5-1 alignment was the formation of choice for NKV. The following players took the field: Koiš - Baicu, Bogolin, Muhar, Bula - Varandalla, Karlsen, Pizzolato, Putsintsau, Maier - Kekkonen.

ISD tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Epelde - Junoring, Zelenšek, Collar - Brljak, Calvo, Caldera, Titini, Danezis - Marinelli, Olivares.

ISD used their ability to concentrate their attacks in the middle of the pitch, rather than on the wings. As J. Bula had, completely unprovoked, swept the legs out from under an opponent in front of a linesman, the referee gave the NKV player a red card without batting an eyelid. 14 minutes in, the referee awarded NKV a penalty. T. Kekkonen coolly slotted it home for a 1 - 0 lead. The visitors refused to give in and, after 17 minutes, S. Titini evened things up as he finished off a perfect pass from the right. 1 - 1 After some beautiful movement down the left wing, S. Pizzolato scored for NKV putting them ahead 2 - 1, after 34 minutes. It was 2 - 1 at the break. ISD enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 57 percent of possession.

ISD tied it all up, 56 minutes in, after a spectacular goal by C. Caldera, who miraculously broke through the home side's central defence, making it 2 - 2. ISD's C. Caldera was shown a yellow card after 74 minutes for slicing down an opponent. Good work by the NKV defensive line after 77 minutes produced a good counterattack chance, which cut elegantly down the middle of the pitch and found S. Putsintsau alone in front of the goal, but his shot whistled just wide. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by ISD, with 59 percent of the ball.

NKV's top performer was clearly A. Bogolin. However, K. Karlsen made a disastrous appearance. ISD's best player was M. Marinelli. On the other hand, K. Brljak's play was disheartening. The match ends 2 - 2.