All square after Group 5 openers

UEFA Futsal Cup Main round Group 5 looks like being a tight affair after both opening games were drawn 2-2 tonight in Croatia.

Points shared
Home team HMNK Gospić kicked off the mini-tournament against Georgia's Iberia 2003 Tbilisi, the only side to have played in every edition of this competition. European debutants Gospić were leading 1-0 at half-time through a Robert Hertl goal and he scored again on 30 minutes, but within seconds Rodrigo Andrei had struck twice to ensure a share of the points for Iberia. It was a similar story when last season's Elite round entrants from Romania, CIP Deva, took on KMN Puntar of Slovenia. Early in the second half Ioan Al-Ioani put Deva 2-0 up with two quick goals, but Gaj Rosič pulled one back and Rajko Uršič equalised with nine minutes to go to secure a useful point for Puntar who qualified from the Preliminary round.

Mixed feelings

Thursday deciders
On Thursday, Puntar take on Gospić and Deva are up against Iberia. Meanwhile, Groups 1, 3 and 6 reach their conclusions with two of the six available Elite round places from those pools still undecided, and Group 2 - containing 2004 runners-up SL Benfica, becomes the last mini-tournament to begin.