Joy for Barcelona and Bratislava

Slov-Matic Bratislava learned they were through from the UEFA Futsal Cup main round before kicking off their match on Friday while newcomers FC Barcelona also made progress with a match to spare.

Barcelona followed their opening 9-0 win against KMF Leotar Trebinje with a stylish 8-2 defeat of fellow matchday one victors Győri ETO FC. Seven different players scored for Marc Carmona's side, including two for Igor, with a display of passing that lived up to their club's name. In the second game hosts FK Nikars Riga, who had lost 7-4 to Győr on Thursday, salvaged their campaign with goals in the last 70 seconds from Igors Dacko and Andrejs Šustrovs to claim a spirited 3-3 draw with Leotar.

That means Barcelona cannot be caught in first place while Nikars, who take on the Spanish champions on Sunday, must win. Even then, it will be in vain if Győr secure the point they require against Leotar to cement second position in the early game. Leotar themselves could progress with victory.

Three pools concluded on Friday and in Group 3 Slov-Matic went through before kicking off as FC Geneva, three points adrift of the Slovakian side, lost 4-0 to already eliminated FC Mapid Minsk. Bratislava were to end second but denied hosts Iberia Star Tbilisi a perfect third win when Ladislav Mikita made it 3-3 in the last minute, Slov-Matic having led twice.

Only first place and better seeding for the elite round draw on 11 October remained up for grabs in the other two pools ending today with the qualifiers previously confirmed. In Group 5, Marca Futsal defeated hosts City'US Târgu Mureş 5-2 for top spot, Edgar Bertoni scoring three to settle a competitive encounter. MNK Split beat FC Ilves Tampere 4-2 for third position.

Hosts KMF Ekonomac Kragujevac topped Group 6 in Serbia following a 5-3 win against fellow qualifiers Uragan Ivano-Frankovsk of Ukraine, a late Slobodan Rajčević double penalty putting the result beyond doubt. AC Omonia dramatically overcame Asa Ben Gurion 2-1 for third place with two Rodolfo goals in the last 30 seconds.

In the other section that began yesterday and ends on Sunday, MFK Dinamo Moskva, winners in 2007, learned before their match today that yesterday's 5-1 Group 1 defeat of Club Futsal Eindhoven had become a 5-0 forfeit due to fielding the suspended Vinicius. But they are now off the mark in Group 1 following today's 9-1 win against Athina '90 Athens, aided by an Aleksandr Fukin hat-trick. Dinamo were even able to rest their starters in the second half.

Slovenian hosts KMN Svea Lesna Litija, who drew 3-3 with Athens on Thursday, came back from two down by deploying a flying goalkeeper for 25 minutes to beat Eindhoven 5-2 to the delight of a noisy crowd and move a point ahead of both the Dutch preliminary round qualifiers and Dinamo. On Sunday Athens face Eindhoven before Dinamo seek the victory they need against Litija.