Futsal Champions League semi-final preview: Benfica vs Palma, Barça vs Sporting

The UEFA Futsal Champions League finals come to Armenia on Friday as the last-four ties are played at Demirchyan Arena SCC in Yerevan,

We preview the action as four past champions aim to take the title again. The third-place play-off and final are both on Sunday.

Benfica vs Mallorca Palma Futsal

A year on from Palma, then finals hosts, beating Benfica 4-3 in a tense last-four encounter on their way to winning the title on debut, the pair are matched again in the semi-finals. That loss was Benfica's fourth in a row at this stage, a run that started the year after they won their sole title in 2010; Palma are yet to taste defeat in any of their 14 European games.

Hossein Tayebi scored twice in Palma's last-four win last year but the former Benfica player is missing through injury, as is Fabinho, while Bruno Gomes is suspended.

Two ex-Eagles could feature: Chaguinha and the hugely-experienced Rômulo, who moved last summer after playing for Benfica in the 2022/23 finals. Benfica have Diego Nunes, a huge part of Palma earning their European debut before switching in 2022.

Key stat: Palma hope to become only the second club to win the title in their first two campaigns after Playas de Castellón, winners in the inaugural seasons of 2001/02 and 2002/03. Inter FS are the sole other side to have successfully defended the trophy, in 2017/18.

Mário Silva, Benfica coach: "Palma are a different team when compared to last season but that has been the case with them in recent years. They are always capable of reinventing themselves. I think they now have players more capable of changing a game on their own but that could also work in our favour if we are capable of taking advantage of the risks they take.

"I believe we played better futsal than Palma last year but they competed better and that's probably why they won. In these type of matches it is crucial to take your chances and also to score first. We have been focusing on this match and this opponent for the last three weeks."

Antonio Vadillo, Palma coach: "Our recent results haven't been great but it's a different competition and we'll show our quality once again. We have three important players out, but that will not be an excuse for us.

"Last year against Benfica it was very important to score first because that allows you a different approach. I'm sure there will be moments where Benfica will dominate and others where we will dominate. It's what you make out of those moments that counts."

Mário Silva and Antonio Vadillo in the press conferenceUEFA via Sportsfile

Afonso Jesus, Benfica player: "We work hard every hard every single day in order to get the chance to play in a Champions League semi-final. Last year's defeat at this stage was learning step for our team and I do believe we learned from the mistakes we made in that match.

"We are working very well and now all we need to do is to profit from that work and to enjoy ourselves on the pitch. We are here to compete and to win. The four best teams in the world are here at these finals and anything can happen."

Mario Rivillos, Palma player: "We have been waiting for this tournament for a long time and I am certain we will be able to deliver what we have worked so hard for. We want to make history once again and go through to the final and then lift the trophy.

"Benfica are very difficult opponents and have a lot of quality in every single aspect of the game. It will be a very hard and physical semi-final. The arena is amazing and the pitch is also top quality so I'm sure it will be an amazing match."

Barça vs Sporting CP 

Barça were the only one of the four Yerevan finalists not to take part in Palma de Mallorca last year, missing out for the first time in ten attempts on goal difference behind Sporting Anderlecht Futsal. However, they are back this time and again will aim to equal Inter's record of five titles.

Sporting, though, can boast just as much pedigree at this level, seeking to reach an unprecedented fourth final in a row, and seventh in eight years. This is these clubs' fourth finals meeting: Barça beat Sporting in the semis in 2011/12 and 2014/15, the Lisbon side defeated the Blaugrana 4-3 in the 2021 final for their second title, but 12 months later fortunes were reversed as they lost 4-0 to their Spanish rivals (coached, like now, by Jesús Velasco) in the decider.

On top of that, their two coaches, the most experienced in this competition, had even faced off in two finals before 2022, the deciders of 2017 and 2018, when Velasco's Inter defeated Nuno Dias's Sporting 7-0 and 5-2 respectively. Dias now hopes to match Velasco in winning three titles as coach. He would be the first to do so with a single club as Velasco won twice with Inter and once with Barça (the three wins against Sporting).

Erick Mendonça joined Barça last summer from Sporting, where he was part of their 2018/19 and 2020/21 triumphs. It has been a difficult season injury-wise for Barça but Sergio Lozano, Adolfo, Pito and Ferrao have all recovered in time. Sporting's Anton Sokolov is suspended.

Key stat: Both these teams are in the post-2007 finals for a joint-record tenth time, though Sporting also played in the one-off eight-team showpiece in the inaugural 2001/02 season.

Jesús Velasco, Barça coach: "The job is only half done and now we need to deliver. There's a lot of talent in both teams but talent itself won't win you a match on its own. The collective aspect of a team is always more important than the individual and that's the only way you can achieve more and more.

"The most important thing for us has been recovering all the players we had injured. This is the most difficult season I have had as a coach when it comes to injuries. We are overcoming all of that and this is the moment where we have more available players. We'll give everything we have in order to achieve our first goal, which is to be in the final.”

Nuno Dias, Sporting coach: "First of all I want to congratulate all the teams who made it to these finals because for me this is the best futsal club competition in the world.

"It's always difficult to be so long away from home but it's a good thing that we came earlier to Yerevan as we had more time to work. It made our adaptation smoother and easier. We will face very strong opponents who currently top the Spanish league. I think Barça managed to recover from all the injuries they had this season and I am sure they will be at their best against us."

Sergio Lozano, Barça player: "These are days of feeling nervous and your belly aching because of the occasion. Every single player dreams of playing matches like this one and the Champions League is always special.

"We are accustomed to big games like this but that's also the case for Sporting. They are favourites to win every match they play but the same can be said about us."

Alex Merlim, Sporting player: "Our team is doing very well. We have been playing together for several years and we have become a real family. There's an amazing team spirit. We will have to be at our best because we are facing one the best teams in the world. We are aware of their quality and they have players capable of deciding a match at any moment.

"I cannot say we feel nervous but it's normal to feel something different ahead of such an important match like this one. When you no longer feel like that then it's time to move away and stop playing. I've won two Champions League but I also lost four so there's only one objective in our minds – to win."