Barça and Sporting win Futsal Champions League semi-finals

Barça and Sporting CP will contest Monday's UEFA Futsal Champions League final after last-four wins on Saturday in Zadar.

It will be a fourth final in five seasons for 2019 winners Sporting after they defeated Inter FS 5-2. Holders Barça then joined them with a 3-2 win against Kairat Almaty to maintain hopes of a fourth title.

Barça 3-2 Kairat Almaty

Barça's two previous reigns as champions had been ended by Kairat but they made amends thanks to a Ferrao hat-trick. Kairat started with sole remaining goalkeeper Narun Serikov, due to Higuita's suspension, but the 19-year-old proved proficient early on in keeping the reigning champions at bay. However the pressure told late in the first half as Aicardo, making a record-equalling 14th finals appearance, played the ball across to Ferrao, who turned and shot smartly past Serikov.

Ferrao struck again in the first minute of the second half with another fine piece of footwork to swivel and shoot powerfully in. Soon after Diego Favero let fly from distance and his shot slipped just inside the post to pull one back for Kairat. Ferrao completed his treble when Dyego did excellently to supply Aicardo to play the ball across for the Brazil pivot to finish. Fernandinho's opportunist strike gave Kairat hope in the last five minutes but it was not enough.

Inter FS 2-5 Sporting CP

Sporting repeated their 2019 semi-final defeat of record five-time winners Inter. They led in the second minute, Diego Cavinato pouncing after Jesús Herrero mis-controlled a crossed Alex Merlim kick-in. Inter worked hard to level midway through the first half, Borja turning in José Raya's corner to finally beat Guitta. No matter; within seconds the advancing Sporting goalkeeper let fly and his shot deflected in off Borja.

Early in the second half it was 3-1 as Taynan's drive from distance deceived Herrero. There was then hope for Inter as Tomás Paço deflected the ball into his own net from Lucas Trípodi's corner but Pany Valera's fine footwork and finish then in the final seconds Erick rolled the ball into an unguarded net. Sporting captain João Matos, like Aicardo, equalled the competition record of 14 finals appearances; like the Barça man, the Portuguese international is set to add to that on Monday.