Lidselmash make first leap into main round

Debutants Lidselmash Lida have become the first team to qualify from the UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round, while a winner-takes-all encounter is scheduled for the final day in Group F after FC Grand Pro Varna and FS Ilves Tampere made it two wins out of two.

The results of all 13 matches on Thursday can be found here.

Twenty-four hours after beating mini-tournament hosts København Futsal 6-1, Belarusian side Lidselmash Lida were involved in a somewhat closer contest, coming from behind to defeat Helvécia Futsal London 2-1 courtesy of Anton Gusakov's 38th-minute strike.

Lidselmash are three points clear of Helvécia and København in Group B and, having triumphed against both and with their two rivals also meeting in the final round of games on Saturday, cannot be overhauled at the top of the section. Their reward is a place in Group 5 of the main round, which features last season's runners-up MFK Dinamo Moskva.

Grand Pro Varna and Ilves Tampere prevailed 4-1 and 5-3 respectively against Cardiff City FC, who had goalkeeper Lee Jones sent off early in the second half, and Ibra Göteborg. Ilves Tampere were 4-1 to the good within 12 minutes, and while their Swedish opponents closed to within a goal, Antti Teittinen's second of the match late on gave them breathing space. The pool concludes on Saturday.

Paris Sporting Club also have a 100% record, although they too are not yet assured of progression. The French outfit were 18-2 victors against Scotland's FC Santos, Diniz Pinheiro top-scoring with six, and face Futsal Topsport Antwerpen in their final Group D fixture on Saturday, when a point will be enough.

Group G, which opened with victories for KMF Zelezarec Skopje and KF Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje, continues tomorrow while Group A concludes. The winners of each group advance to the main round early next month, with the draw already made.

Standings

Main round (4-9 September)
Group 1: Luparense C/5 (ITA), Slov-Matic Bratislava (SVK), AC Omonia Nicosia (CYP)*, winner preliminary round Group F

Group 2: KMF Ekonomac Kragyjevac (SRB), Nikars Riga (LVA)*, winner preliminary round Group E, winner preliminary round Group G

Group 3: FK EP Chrudim (CZE)*, City'US Târgu Mures (ROU), SK Energia Lviv (UKR), winner preliminary round Group A

Group 4: Iberia Star Tbilisi (GEO), Athina '90 (GRE), FC Litija (SVN)*, winner preliminary round Group D

Group 5: MFK Dinamo Moskva (RUS), MNK Split (CRO)*, Lidselmash Lida (BLR)

Group 6: Araz Naxçivan (AZE), CF Eindhoven (NED), ETO FC Győr (HUN)*, winner preliminary round Group C

Bye to elite round (9-14 October)
FC Barcelona (ESP, holders), SL Benfica (POR), Murcia FS (ESP), Kairat Almaty (KAZ)