UEFA Futsal Champions League semi-final round-up: Palma and Barça edge thrillers

UEFA Futsal Champions League holders Mallorca Palma Futsal will take on Spanish rivals Barça in Sunday's final after they respectively knocked out Benfica and Sporting CP in a classic night of last-four action in Yerevan.

Benfica 4-4 Mallorca Palma Futsal (aet, 3-4 pens) 

Palma's stalwart captain Carlos Barrón was the shoot-out hero as the holders knocked out Benfica in the semi-finals for the second year running, recovering from 4-2 down with less than three minutes to go in normal time.

Lúcio Rocha, who does not turn 20 until Sunday, volleyed Benfica into a deserved seventh-minute lead from an Afonso Jesus cross. Palma immediately responded with a strong spell of pressure and within two minutes Jesús Gordillo had equalised, applying a subtle finish to Vilian Lourenço's free-kick.

The holders kept up the pace and came close to making it 2-1. But instead Benfica responded and got the third goal themselves, Silvestre Ferreira playing the ball down the left for Afonso Jesus to put in a low centre, touched home by Jacaré. Afonso Jesus was also involved as Benfica doubled their lead at the start of the second half as he was dispossessed, but the ball fell to Lúcio Jr and following some neat footwork he struck for the second time.

Former Benfica player Chaguinha nearly pulled one back but his opportunist strike was stopped at close range by Léo Gugiel. Having started with captain Barrón in goal, Palma now turned to 2023 finals Player of the Tournament Luan Muller, adding his outfield ability, but he also made a crucial stop, clawing away an Arthur free-kick at the second attempt.

Palma's ambitions were not helped by a second yellow card for Ernesto, but they saw out the two-minute power play and then Luan Muller pulled one back with a ferocious strike. Rômulo, another ex-Benfica player, hit the crossbar, and when Gordillo was sent on as a flying keeper, Lúcio Jr completed his hat-trick from inside the Benfica half with the goal unguarded.

The decisive save in the shoot-outUEFA via Sportsfile

Benfica seemed set to end their 14-year wait to reach a third final but now came a Gordillo-inspired comeback in the last three minutes. First he squared for Marcelo to reduce arrears, then shot in to level.

Extra time saw chances at both ends, but it went to penalties. And Barrón saved Benfica's last two efforts, either side of a Léo Gugiel stop, to ensure Palma again pipped the Eagles to the decider. Benfica have now lost five consecutive semi-finals, including three in as many seasons, since their 2010 triumph.

Key stat: Palma remain unbeaten in their 15 European games.

Antonio Vadillo, Palma coach: "The key moment of the match was overcoming the fact we had one player sent off with the score 3-1 against us. That changed the outcome of the game. The score was undeserved because we were better than them in all aspects of the game, but if you make two mistakes against a team like Benfica they make you pay.

"With the score at 3-2 we saw their faces and thought the game was ours. Our only sin was not to win the match after 40 minutes. It's another huge day for this club and I couldn't be happier."

Mário Silva, Benfica coach: "Compared to last year's game, I'm satisfied. We did manage the pressure, we were a better team than Palma but at the end of the game, we couldn't settle down our rhythm. We missed the opportunities to kill the game when Palma were down to four players. Suddenly we lost our structure.

"Instead of running down the clock, at 3-1 we maybe thought about Sunday’s final. We will be at our best to represent proudly Benfica for the third-place game."

Barça 5-4 Sporting CP

The tone for the game was set in the opening minute when Alex Merlim's cross was brilliantly volleyed home by Tomás Paçó. Barça then turned the game in the space of less than 30 seconds in the ninth minute, as first Mamadou Touré's kick-in deflected in off Sporting's Rafa Félix, then Adolfo turned home Catela's corner.

Merlim then hit the woodwork for Sporting, and Bernardo Paçó came on in goal to face a 16th-minute ten-metre penalty by Catela, who hit the crossbar. That proved crucial as soon after Henrique Rafagnin, back in the Sporting goal, saved and his clever low roll set Merlim away on the left to set up Zicky to equalise.

Sporting soon had a penalty for a foul on Zicky and although Didac Plana saved, taker Hugo Neves pounced on the subsequent rebound, scoring off the crossbar. A minute later, though, Catela played the ball across for Antonio Pérez to send in a low shot from just outside the box to make it 3-3.

Matheus Rodrigues celebrates making it 5-4UEFA via Sportsfile

Catela turned goalscorer early in the second half, powering home from outside the box. Sporting produced another quick equaliser, Tatinho converting Merlim's corner.

Matheus Rodrigues hit the post, but he showed great technique in the 32nd minute to restore Barça's lead. And that proved the winner despite a Sporting rally as they miss their first final since 2020.

Key stat: Barça are into their seventh final, within one of Inter FS, whose record of five titles they will attempt to match on Sunday.

Jesús Velasco, Barça coach: "What a match! Either team could have won it and I didn't have the time to look at the stats but both had several chances to score even more goals. These kind of matches are always decided on small things and today we were a bit more clinical.

"I'm very proud of my boys especially because it has been a really difficult season with so many injuries. Having said that, we managed to overcome that because we have the best squad in the world and that showed today."

Nuno Dias, Sporting coach: "I think we played well tonight but sometimes and especially against teams like Barça that's not enough. We conceded some goals in unusual situations like for instance the own goal and at the end of the day that can sometimes make all the difference."

Erick Mendonça, Barça player: "Above all it was an amazing futsal match between two amazing teams. It was a very intense game and both teams gave it their all on the pitch. I think in the end we deserved to go through to the final because we were more clinical but truth is that there were moments of the match where they were better than us and others where we were stronger.

"Now that the match is over I can reveal that it was really special and a bit strange to face Sporting because I played there for many years, and I know almost all the players. I tried my best to forget that and just concentrated on my game and in helping my team."

Tomás Paçó, Sporting player: "I won't lie and say it's easy to digest a defeat like this one because it never is and even more when you are playing a Champions League semi-final. It's a really bad feeling and even more because I believe we deserved a bit more from this match. Maybe we were not at our best level defensively but that wasn't the only reason why we lost. Barça are a great team and it is no shame to lose against them."