Futsal Cup contenders ready for draw
Monday, March 14, 2016
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Inter FS and Pescara are celebrating cup wins while Benfica and Ugra Yugorsk are also in form as we see how the finalists are getting on ahead of April's competition.
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Inter FS warmed up for hosting April's UEFA Futsal Cup finals at the Palacio Multiusos de Guadalajara by winning the Spanish Cup at the same venue, as UEFA.com looks at the form of the four contenders ahead of tomorrow's draw.
The draw itself takes place at half-time of Tuesday's Atlético Madrid v PSV Eindhoven UEFA Champions League match at the Vicente Calderón stadium. The ceremony will be performed on the pitch by Atlético great Adelardo and Ricardinho, who scored the winner for Inter in Sunday's Spanish Cup final.
- Finalists: Benfica (POR), Inter (ESP, hosts), Pescara (ITA), Ugra Yugorsk (RUS)
- Venue: Palacio Multiusos de Guadalajara
- Dates: Semi-finals on 22 April, final/third-place play-off on 24 April, KO times tbc
- Full profiles of the four finalists
Benfica
The 2010 UEFA Futsal Cup winners are in their usual duel with Sporting CP to top the Portuguese regular season table, with the Lisbon rivals meeting this Saturday. At the weekend they beat Boavista 7-0, matching their result against Braga/AAUM three days earlier to remain three points clear of Sporting, who have a game in hand.
The previous week Benfica defeated Valpaços 4-0 to reach the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals as they seek a second straight double.
Inter FS
Four points clear of Barcelona in the league despite a 7-1 loss to their rivals last month, Inter are already assured of a play-off place and, over the last four days, looked at home in Guadalajara as they won their ninth Spanish Cup. Opening the eight-team knockout event on Thursday with a comfortable 8-0 thrashing of Palma, they overcame Burela 6-3 to set up a Sunday decider with old rivals Murcia, for which Inter were missing goalkeeper Jesús Herrero through injury.
Bebe gave Murcia a half-time lead but another of Spain's UEFA Futsal EURO 2016 winners Ortiz equalised on 21 minutes before Ricardinho, who recovered from illness to take part in Guadalajara, hit the winner. Ortiz was voted player of the tournament.
Pescara
Inter were not the only knockout winners over the last week as Pescara lifted the Coppa Italia for the first time. Hosting the eight-team tournament, Pescara saw off Latina 6-2 with a Maximiliano Rescia hat-trick and Carlisport Cofianco Genzano 3-2 courtesy of Mauro Canal's late clincher before ousting Asti 2-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in which they had fallen behind after ten seconds.
In Serie A, Pescara share the lead with Asti, one point clear of Real Rieti with four games left of the regular season. Pescara are guaranteed a place in the eight-team play-offs.
Ugra Yugorsk
Like Pescara, Ugra have made the European finals en debut having taken their first league title last season. On Saturday Ugra triumphed 5-2 at KPRF to remain within a point of leaders FC Dynamo, whom they host on 26 and 27 March in two of their five remaining regular season matches as they vie for play-off top seeding. Before that, on Wednesday, Ugra welcome Tyumen in the second leg of the Russian Cup semi-finals having won 6-1 away last month. Sibiryak await in the final after knocking out Dynamo.
