UEFA Futsal Champions League semi-final round-up: Kairat and Palma progress

Two-time UEFA Futsal Champions League winners Kairat will take on a Palma side who can make history by winning three straight titles after they respectively knocked out Cartagena and Sporting CP.

Alisson and Dener Rodrigo celebrate Kairat's openerUEFA via Getty Images

Kairat Almaty 3-2 Cartagena Costa Cálida 

Prolific forward Alisson scored in either half as Kairat held off debutants Cartagena to reach the final for the first time since 2019 after a thrilling finish.

Cartagena dominated the share of attempts early on, Gabriel Motta showing silky skill before skimming a low shot against post inside the opening three minutes after winning possession in dangerous territory.

A cunning free-kick routine broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, Julio Zanotto shaping to shoot but feeding the poised Alisson to his right to score his fifth goal in seven games of the campaign with a left-footed shot that beat Chemi at the goalkeeper's near post.

The Spanish side's largest contingent of supporters had watched their team concede in the corner they occupied, but their exuberance resumed within five minutes when Mellado supplied Darío Gil on the right to slip a composed finish beyond Dennis Cavalcanti and level the scoreline at the break.

Dennis Cavalcanti played a pivotal role at both endsUEFA via Getty Images

A gripping second half seemed set for extra time until Alisson showed the deft feet that have helped him score more than 100 goals for Kairat, collecting the ball just inside Cartagena's half as part of a break and measuring the ball into the far corner of the net with the outside of his boot.

That was the first of three goals inside little more than three minutes, Cavalcanti netting a sublime third for Kairat by returning to his feet after making a save and scoring from his own box with the net unguarded by opposition using a flying goalkeeper in an all-out attempt to level again.

Cartagena were rewarded for their boldness when Motta fired in a penalty during the final minute and pushed for parity during the closing seconds of a scintillating finale, but there was to be no completion of the comeback as Kairat's record-extending 110th match in the competition ended in celebration.

Key stat: Kairat are a win away from becoming the first club from outside of Spain to triumph three times.

Marlon Velasco, Kairat coach: "We knew it was going to be a very intense match with a lot of individual duels. We were prepared for it and we fully deserve to be in the final. I am very happy for my players because they gave it all out there. Cartagena have a lot of quality and it is not easy to do what we did today. Small details normally decide matches like this one and we were almost perfect."

Alisson, Kairat player: "It's an amazing feeling and I'm very proud of the way the team played. We played as a team and the result is there. It was a very even match but I believe we did enough to play the final on Sunday. It's like a dream come true to score two goals in a Futsal Champions League match but this was only the first step towards our objective."

Edson, Kairat player: “What a feeling. All our hard work paid off and we managed to knock out the Spanish champions. Dennis was amazing in goal and there was no need for him to advance on the pitch. Everybody spoke about the fact that our team’s main strength was playing with the goalkeeper upfront but we showed that we are a lot more than that. I think Cartagena were expecting us to play like that, and that worked in our favour."

Mellado, Cartagena player: "It's hard to talk about a match in which we had the upper hand for long periods but it's hard to win a Champions League semi-final when you miss so many chances. We worked very hard to be here in these finals and to lose this way hurts a lot. There's still a match to play on Sunday and of course we want to finish with a medal, even if it's not the match we wanted to play."

Jesús Gordillo savours striking again in a semi-finalUEFA via Getty Images

Sporting CP 0-3 Illes Balears Palma

Entering the final phase for a record 12th time, Sporting repeatedly brought the best out of Palma goalkeeper Luan Muller early on and almost went ahead when Fabinho – their top scorer for the campaign with nine goals – rattled a post with a fierce effort from the right flank.

There was a hint of the pattern ahead when Mario Rivillos' shot from just beyond the halfway line was almost hooked in at the far post by Bruno Gomes shortly after the restart, only for Bernardo Paçó to bravely and brilliantly thwart the No9 with a superb reaction save at his feet.

Palma's pressure soon paid off with a touch of the fortune that looked likely to be required for a first goal of the contest.

Jesús Gordillo, who scored twice in the 4-4 semi-final draw against Benfica last year before Palma prevailed on penalties, was in the right place to turn Tomás Paçó's attempted clearance in, rebounding off the scorer's leg.

Palma coach Antonio Vadillo (right) congratulatesUEFA via Getty Images

Ernesto almost doubled the advantage by smacking a shot off a post from a tight angle outside the box on the left, but the destiny of a place in the final remained unpredictably tight until Rivillos – a 2017 winner with Inter before helping Palma lift the trophy in 2023 and 2024 – took full advantage of an interception just outside his own penalty area.

With flying goalkeeper Alex Merlim stranded well beyond the halfway line, Rivillos' precise finish kept him on course to equal the record of four personal triumphs currently shared by Gabriel, Sergio Lozano and Ortiz and put Palma within sight of the final.

There was another remarkable goal to come as Luan Muller, who won the 2023 Player of the Tournament thanks to his display in the final, scored his second goal in this season's competition via a drop kick with four seconds remaining. Palma's pursuit of a third consecutive triumph rolls on.

Key stat: Palma are 22 UEFA futsal competition games unbeaten – two more than the previous record.

Vadillo thanks Palma's fans after a hard-earned victoryUEFA via Getty Images

Antonio Vadillo, Palma coach: "It was a very even match but we were a bit better in the second half and that's why we deserve to go through. It's always very hard to face Sporting and that was the case again. It was a very intense game – as expected – with a lot of individual duals. I couldn't be prouder of my team because time and time again they show what they are capable at the highest level."

Marcelo, Palma player: "It's hard and easy at the same time to explain the connection that exists between this club and the Futsal Champions League. It's very difficult to face an opponent like Sporting, who are one the best teams in the world, but once again our players were capable of preventing them from playing at their best. We were very concentrated during the entire match and that made all the difference."

Nuno Dias, Sporting coach: "We started really well in a very balanced match and I believe we were better until Palma scored their first goal. That moment was a mixture of Palma pressing well and a lack of concentration on our part. We tried to react and we had our chance although we were a bit too anxious to get an equaliser. The result is too harsh but this is the Champions League and you pay the price."

Bernardo Paço, Sporting goalkeeper: "It's really hard to find the right words after such a painful defeat. We worked really hard to be here and prepared very well but in the end we have nothing to show for it. In the first half both teams had their chances, but the result at the break was fair. Then everything changed with their goal as we had to take risks in search of an equaliser. This team has shown its character many times right after a negative result and that will be case again. We still have a match to play and we want to bow out with a win."