UEFA Futsal Champions League elite round latest: Kairat first to finals

Kairat Almaty are the first team through to the UEFA Futsal Champions League finals from the elite round, which runs until Saturday.

The one-venue mini-tournaments involve the 16 teams that advanced from the main round, including holders Illes Balears Palma, former champions Kairat and Sporting CP, 2022/23 semi-finalists Sporting Anderlecht and competition debutants Cartagena Costa Cálida, Catania and Semey.

The four group winners progress to the finals on 1/2 and 3/4 May, with the hosts to be confirmed.

Elite round groups

Group A (ends Saturday)

Cartagena Costa Cálida (ESP, hosts), Riga Futsal Club (LVA), United Galati (ROU), Catania (ITA)

Cartagena made a commanding start against fellow debutants Catania with an 8-1 victory including a Francisco Cortés hat-trick, and then went three points clear as they came from behind to defeat Riga 4-1. Riga beat United Galati 6-0 in their opener, goalkeeper Vandeson Silva starring with two goals, and remain in contention, as indeed do the Romanian champions as they held on to defeat Catania 3-2.

• Cartagena and Catania are both in their debut European seasons, and none of these four clubs have ever reached the finals.
• Catania are the only survivors from the preliminary round.
• United Galati, previously in the 2022/23 elite round, are coached by Cacau, who led Kairat to victory in 2012/13 and 2014/15. Cartagena are themselves led by Duda, a runner-up as Murcia FS coach in 2007/08.
• Riga also played in the elite round last season on debut.
• No teams from Romania or Latvia have previously reached the finals, though the 2022 finals were played in Riga.

Group B (ends Saturday)

Kairat Almaty (KAZ), Olmissum (CRO), Futsal Dinamo (CRO, hosts), Etoile Lavalloise (FRA)

Kairat, who last made the finals in 2021, will be back again four years on as they followed their 4-2 win against Etoile Lavalloise with a 1-0 defeat of Olmissum. That proved enough for Kairat to qualify with a game to spare as Dinamo, who had held Croatian rivals Olmissum 1-1 with a late ten-metre penalty by Tihomir Novak, lost 4-3 to Etoile Lavalloise on Thursday.

• Kairat were champions in 2012/13 and 2014/15, and kept up their record of reaching the elite round in all 18 editions that it has been part of the format. They have now made the post-2007 finals for the tenth time.
• Olmissum are in the last 16 for the fourth time in five seasons.
• Etoile Lavalloise reached the elite round on debut last season.
• Dinamo are in the elite round for the first time. They beat Olmissum in the last two Croatian league championship play-off finals.
• Olmissum vs Dinamo was the second all-Croatian match in UEFA futsal competition after Novo Vrijeme Makarska beat MNK Pula 2-0 in the 2022/23 main round. Croatia has never had a team in the post-2006/07 four-team finals but MNK Split were in the one-off eight-team final tournament in the inaugural edition of 2001/02, going through to the semis.

Group C (ends Friday)

Sporting CP (POR, hosts), Sporting Anderlecht (BEL), Braga (POR), Plzeň (CZE)

Sporting are three points clear ahead of Friday's decider against Portuguese rivals Braga after beating Anderlecht 4-1 and Plzeň 7-2. Braga opened with a 4-2 defeat of Plzeň but then lost 6-1 to Anderlecht, who also retain hopes of matching their semi-final run of two seasons ago.

• Braga also reached the elite round in their previous entry of 2017/18. They beat Plzeň 4-1 in this season's main round.
• During the main round, two-time champions Sporting became only the second team to pass 100 matches in this competition after Kairat. Sporting already had the most wins (now 75) and goals (now 460).
• Sporting have twice faced another Portuguese club, Benfica, in this competition, drawing 1-1 in the 2018/19 elite round to qualify for the finals (which Sporting won) and losing 6-3 to the Eagles in the 2023/24 third-place play-off in Yerevan.
• Anderlecht were semi-finalists in 2022/23, losing to Sporting CP. Sporting also beat Anderlecht in last season's elite round and, when the Belgian club were known as Halle-Gooik, in the 2017/18 elite round and 2016/17 main round.
• Plzeň previously reached the elite round in 2021/22, winning 6-3 against Halle-Gooik (in the final season before they became Anderlecht). They are aiming to be the first Czech club to reach the finals.

Group D (ends Saturday)

Illes Balears Palma (ESP, hosts), Semey (KAZ), Record Bielsko-Biała (POL), Lučenec (SVK)

Holders Palma are three points clear after 4-1 wins against both Semey and Lučenec, each featuring a hat-trick from Fabinho, who missed the 2024 final injured. Semey kept their debut hopes alive on Thursday with a four Dedezinho goals aiding them to a 5-0 defeat of Record, who had Lučenec 3-1 and are also still in the running ahead of Saturday's decider with Palma.

• 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.
• Palma's two wins means they are unbeaten in their 21 European games to date, equalling the record jointly held by Castellón, who did not suffer defeat in any of their 21 matches over the first three editions of the old UEFA Futsal Cup, and also Barça (a streak ended by Palma in the 2024 final).
• Record reached the elite round in 2018/19. Poland has never had a team in the post-2006/07 four-team finals but Clearex Chorzów were in the one-off eight-team final tournament in the inaugural edition of 2001/02.
• Semey, whose squad includes Higuita and Ferrao, are in their debut European season.
• Lučenec are in the elite round for the first time.