Favourites up and running
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Article summary
Hovocubo and Eden Futsal have set up a Friday decider while Baku United and MNK Alumnus Zagreb were among those making a winning start in Wednesday's games.
Article top media content
Article body
Hovocubo and Eden Futsal have set up a Friday decider while Baku United and MNK Alumnus Zagreb were among those making a winning start in Wednesday's UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round games.
• Group A ends on Friday, Groups B to F continue tomorrow. The group winners progress to the main round for which the draw is already made.
Group A
Istanbul Üniversitesi SK 1-2 Hovocubo
• Hovocubo followed up their opening win against Wrexham Futsal Club but had to come from behind after Istanbul captain Mengi Onur picked up the ball in the middle, advanced and calmly slotted in. Hovovubo skipper Amirhassan Molkara proved outstanding and shortly after he was involved in a sweeping move to equalise and 60 seconds later the Dutch side led as the captain set up Mohamed Ajnan for what proved the winner.
Eden Futsal 9-2 Wrexham Futsal Club
• Dublin hosts Eden will only need a draw in Friday's decider with Hovocubo after going top on goal difference. Player-coach Rodrigo De Melo struck on two minutes and went on to claim a hat-trick in a dominating performance despite a fine display by Wrexham's Chris Sheehan.
Group B
MNK Centar Sarajevo 7-1 Malmö City FC
• In a meeting of two debutants, the hosts from Sarajevo comfortably ended up on top. The excellent Nermin Kahvedžić struck twice while Robin Armandt did a fine job in the Malmö goal.
Baku United FC 10-0 Gibraltar Scorpions FC
• In the first game involving a Gibraltarian club in this competition, London-based Baku showed their ambition to reach a second consecutvie main round. Former Spanish international Marcelo scored twice, helping Baku dominate with Tobe and Jonathan.
Group C
FS Ilves Tampere 5-0 FK Lokomotyvas Radviliškis
• It proved a tough debut for the Lithuanian champions against the clinical Finnish representatives. Tomi Lahtinen and Juhana Jyrkiäinen scored twice.
Rekord Bielsko-Biała 10-0 Perth Saltires
• The Polish hosts made a dominant debut against Scotland's Perth. Wojciech Łysoń scored three in a fine team display.
Group D
NAFI Stuttgart 3-4 KF Flamurtari Vlorë
• German debutants Stuttgart started stronger but Flamurtari began to find their stride as the game progressed. The dangerous Fatjon Koçiraj scored twice, including a ninth-minute equaliser that made it 1-1, and provided an assist in the Albanian team's victory.
FC APOEL Nicosia 5-3 FC Anzhi Tallinn
• Hosts APOEL laid siege on Mark Boskin's goal from the off and were two up at the break. Anzhi then drew level but APOEL, spearheaded by the impressive duo of Jonathan Carrasco and Léo Feitoza, staged a late responce to win. APOEL meet Flamurtari on Thursday in a potential decider.
Group E
FC Stalitsa Minsk 2-1 Talgrig Yerevan
• The Belarusian side were on top and led through Denis Gumenyuk but Shota Tophuria levelled in the 18 minutes and goalkeeper Aleksa Antonić kept Talgrig in the game. With just over four minutes to go, though, Gumenyuk scored again and a flying goalkeeper could not save Yerevan.
Futsal Schwaz 3-4 FC Encamp
• Andorra's Enamp play Stalistsa in a potential decider on Thursday after defeating debutants Schwaz. The Austrian hosts had most of the possession, came back to level from 2-0 down and hit the woodwork seven times.
Group F
MNK Alumnus Zagreb 7-2 Balzan FC
• Hosts Alumnus are tipped to do well on debut and beat Maltese opponents themselves with plenty of Romanian international experience. Kristijan Grbeša and Matija Capar scored twice for Mico Martić's side; Balzan must beat København Futsal by five goals on Thursday to save their campaign in a three-team group.
Group G begins on Thursday, Group H begins on Friday.
Reporters: Ronan Farrelly, Jasmin Ligata, Kacper Zieliński, John Leonidou & Rok Šinkovc