UEFA Futsal Cup semi-final draw: form guide
Thursday, March 2, 2017
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The UEFA Futsal Cup finals draw is made at 10:45CET on Saturday at Almaty's Central Stadium and we see how the four contenders are getting on as April's event nears.
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• Draw on Saturday during half-time of football's Kazakhstan Super Cup at Almaty's Central Stadium (KO 10:00CET).
• Knockout finals will take place on 28 and 30 April at Almaty Arena
• Contenders: Inter FS, Kairat Almaty (hosts), Sporting CP, Ugra Yugorsk (holders)
Inter FS (ESP)
The only three-time UEFA Futsal Cup winners lead the way in the Spanish league by three points from Barcelona with eight games to go until the regular season gives way to the eight-team play-offs. Since losing 4-3 at home to Barcelona on 17 December, Inter have won 11 league games in a row, scoring 51 goals.
Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
As they prepare to host the finals, Kairat showed their class last week when they lifted the Eremenko Cup for the third time in four editions. In the competition held in memory of former Russia striker Konstantin Eremenko, Kairat beat Russian leaders Dina Moskva 4-2 and Stalitsa Monsk 4-0 in their group before defeating KPRF 3-1 in the semi-finals and Sibiryak 4-3 in the decider in Tyumen, Siberia.
Kairat dedicated their victory to Neto, their former Ugra and Inter player, and 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup winner with Brazil, who has undergone surgery to remove a brain tumour. Meanwhile coach Cacau has stepped down from his other role in charge of Kazakhstan, to be replaced by assistant Alesio, who remains the Kairat No2.
On the pitch, in December Kairat signed two players from Brazilian side Intelli, namely Cabreúva and striker Douglas da Silva, younger brother of former Almaty player Betão. That month they also landed their 13th Kazakhstan Cup, as 3-1 victors over Zhetysu Taldykorgan, while in the league they sit 15 points clear at the top having won 11 and drawn one of their 12 games, netting 103 goals.
Sporting CP (POR)
Sporting also had reason to celebrate at the weekend after they retained the Portuguese League Cup in Gondomar, beating Fundão 4-0 in the final having previously disposed of Módicus 5-2 and Braga/AAUM 6-1. That was the 100th trophy collected by Sporting's futsal section.
In the league Sporting are unbeaten after 18 matches, leading Benfica by five points with eight rounds to go in the regular season. They are also through to the eight-team Portuguese Cup finals in May after an 8-2 demolition of second-division Fabril.
Ugra Yugorsk (RUS)
Ugra are four points behind Dina in the Russian regular-season table having been held 3-3 at Sinara Ekateriburg on 18 February, the same scoreline by which they drew with the leaders in Moscow in January, following a 5-2 home reverse to Norilsky Nikel. In the Russian Cup, having edged Dina 2-1 away in the first leg of their quarter-final, Ugra lost the return 9-2.
