UEFA Futsal Champions League main round: Palma, Kairat, Sporting, Cartagena among teams through

UEFA Futsal Champions League holders Illes Balears Palma, fellow former winners Kairat Almaty and Sporting CP, and debutants Cartagena Costa Cálida, Catania and Semey are among the 16 sides through to the elite round after the main round was played out this week.

How the main round worked

The 24 teams with the highest coefficients – including Palma – received byes to the main round and were joined by August's preliminary round group winners: Akaa, Catania, Diamant Linz, FORCA, Minerva, NV Georgians, Tigers Roermond and Uddevalla. Those teams were among those in Path B of the main round (which carried four elite round spots), while Palma and fellow former champions Sporting and Kairat featured in Path A (from which 12 teams progressed).

The elite round now runs between 26 November and 1 December to determine the four contenders for the knockout finals in the first weekend of May at a venue to be confirmed.

Main round groups

Path A

The top three in each group progress to the elite round.

Group 1: Cartagena Costa Cálida (ESP, through to elite round), Record Bielsko-Biała (POL, through to elite round), Sporting Anderlecht (BEL, hosts, through to elite round), FC Hit (UKR)

The 2022/23 semi-finalists Anderlecht produced a comfortable opening win against Hit while Spanish debutants Cartagena needed a late equaliser to hold Record. Cartagena and Record both won on Thursday to progress and although Anderlecht were beaten by the Polish side, they too went through with Hit unable to catch them due to that Matchday 1 result. First place went to Cartagena on goal difference ahead of Record as both Saturday games were drawn.

Group 2: Braga (POR, through to elite round), Olmissum (CRO, through to elite round), Plzeň (CZE, through to elite round), FC Prishtina 01 (KOS, hosts)

Braga, who pipped regulars Benfica to qualification, opened with a win as did Olmissum. The top two drew on Thursday, and Prishtina 01 and Plzeň played out a 5-5 thriller, meaning nothing was settled ahead of Saturday's deciders. Olmissum came back from two down to draw 2-2 with Plzeň and go through in Saturday's early game. However, the Czech side also progressed as Braga won the group by beating Prishtina 01 5-0.

Group 3: Illes Balears Palma (ESP, hosts/holders, through to elite round), United Galati (ROU, through to elite round), Futsal Dinamo (CRO, through to elite round), Dobovec (SVN)

Holders Palma went through with a game to spare as group winners after defeating Dinamo and United Galati, who had began by beating Dobovec. United Galati, coached by two-time competition winner Cacau, equalised with one second left to hold Dinamo 2-2 on Saturday and end as runners-up but the Croatian side did earn an elite round debut as Dobovec lost 5-1 to Palma, now unbeaten in all 19 of their European fixtures.

Group 4: Kairat Almaty (KAZ, hosts, through to elite round), Sporting CP (POR, through to elite round), Semey (KAZ, through to elite round), Haladás (HUN)

Kairat came back from two down to beat Sporting 3-2 with a goal 18 seconds before the end to clinch first place, both teams having already sealed progress with wins in their opening two games. On Wednesday, Sporting became only the second team to reach 100 matches in this competition, emulating their fellow two-time champions Kairat (who will keep up their record of playing in the elite round in all 18 seasons in which it is has been part of the competition format). Taynan scored for Sporting against former club Kairat to add to his hat-trick against debutants Semey.

Semey themselves defeated Haladás 6-1 to secure progress with Higuita making his European bow for his new club, becoming the first goalkeeper to make 60 competition appearances. Ferrao's two goals for Semey took him to 40 in UEFA futsal club matches, joint tenth in the all-time rankings.

Path B

The four group winners progress to the elite round.

Group 5: Etoile Lavalloise (FRA, hosts, through to elite round), Futsal Minerva (SUI), Stalitsa Minsk (BLR), Uddevalla (SWE)

Etoile Lavalloise made the elite round on debut last season and have done so again after three wins. Morocco pivot Soufiane El Mesrar hit four goals (in the space of less than five minutes) against Uddevalla, and overall finished as main round top scorer on seven.

Group 6: Riga Futsal Club (LVA, through to elite round), FON Banjica (SRB, hosts), Tigers Roermond (NED), FORCA (MKD)

Riga, like Etoile Lavalloise, have emulated their elite round run on debut a year ago after winning the group decider 5-1 against FON with both teams going into the game on maximum points.

Group 7: Lučenec (SVK, hosts, through to elite round), Luxol St. Andrews (MLT), Akaa (FIN), NV Georgians (GEO)

Lučenec and Luxol went into Saturday's decider equal top on goal difference and goals scored after two wins each. Despite Luxol coming back to level from two down, Lučenec prevailed 3-2 to reach the elite round for the first time.

Group 8: Catania (ITA, hosts, through to elite round), Kauno Žalgiris (LTU), Diamant Linz (AUT), Differdange (LUX)

Trailing Kauno on goal difference, Catania needed a win in Saturday's decider between the two teams on six points. And the debutants from Sicily became the only side from this season's preliminary round to reach the elite round as they prevailed 6-2. Michele Podda scored twice, two days after hitting the third hat-trick of his first European campaign in the defeat of Diamant, leaving him as overall leading scorer on 11.

Team facts

• Palma have won the European title for the last two seasons, the only team to lift the trophy in their debut pair of campaigns since Castellón in the inaugural 2001/02 and 2002/03 editions.
• Two-time winners Kairat Almaty and Sporting CP (along with Palma, the only other side from last season's final four to qualify) are the other past champions involved.
• Anderlecht are past semi-finalists. Dobovec reached the one-off quarter-final round in 2020/21.
• Kairat are the first club to enter 21 seasons of UEFA futsal competition.
• Cartagena and Semey were making their debuts in this round, while fellow newcomers Catania, FORCA and Tigers Roermond came through the preliminary round.
• Along with the debutants, Akaa were in the main round for the first time. Diamant, Differdange, FON, Futsal Dinamo, Georgians, Lučenec, Minerva and Uddevalla were also aiming to reach the elite round for the first time.
• With Cartagena winning their first Spanish title to join holders Palma in the competition, this is only the second edition (after the inaugural 2001/02 campaign) to not involve any of Barça, Inter FS and Murcia FS.
• Kairat faced the side that ended their 20-year run as Kazakh champions, Semey (though Kairat beat Semey 3-1 in the recent Kazakhstan Super Cup).
• Sporting began the main round two games away from becoming only the second club to feature in 100 matches in UEFA futsal competition after Kairat. They already had the most wins and goals.