Futsal Champions League semi-final round-up: Cartagena 3-3aet Sporting CP (5-6 pens), Palma 6-6aet Étoile Lavalloise (5-4 pens)

The two UEFA Futsal Champions League semi-finals at Pesaro Futsal Arena were both decided on penalties as Sporting CP overcame a two-goal deficit before seeing off Cartagena Costa Cálida and holders lles Balears Palma reached a fourth straight decider despite having trailed Étoile Lavalloise 6-1.

Sporting have now reached a joint-record eighth final, while Palma are through to an unprecedented fourth consecutive showpiece. They will face off on Sunday, just as they did in 2023, when the Spanish team won on penalties as hosts for the first of their three straight titles.

Cartagena Costa Cálida 3-3 Sporting CP (aet, Sporting win 6-5 on penalties)

Sporting were missing long-term absentees Taynan and Henrique Rafagnin as well as Allan Guilherme, but they had Zicky and Vinícius Rocha fit and began in lively fashion. Wesley França won possession of the ball and tested Chemi in the opening seconds, before Zicky also went close with a back-heel.

Chemi was the busier of the two goalkeepers, but Cartagena – without the suspended Lucas Farias and the injured Renato Lopes – soaked up the pressure. They then took the lead in the 12th minute as former Sporting player Waltinho exchanged passes with Tomaz Braga before firing past Bernardo Paçó. In fact, it was 2-0 by half-time, Gon Castejón squaring for Francisco Cortés to turn the ball in.

Having led the shots-on-target count 18-5 at the interval, Sporting needed to respond if they were to avoid a third straight semi-final defeat at the hands of Spanish opposition. And, after their keeper Bernardo Paçó twice forced saves in the first minute of the second half, the Portuguese side quickly got a goal back, Zicky scooping in from Diogo Santos' diagonal pass while falling.

Chemi was injured as the shot went past him and had to leave the game on a stretcher, giving way to Chispi, who was then beaten when Felipe Valério powered his way to the edge of the box and equalised. The Sporting pressure continued, and Zicky only just missed the target after a mazy dribble, while competition joint-top scorer Bruno Pinto hit the outside of a post.

Delight for SportingUEFA via Getty Images

Cartagena made it to extra time but fell behind when a Felipe Valério corner was played back to Tomás Paçó, who controlled and smashed the ball in. Just 48 seconds later, however, Gon Castejón levelled after a superb Cartagena passing move undid the Sporting defence.

That took the game to penalties, and after both teams converted their first five, Bernardo Paçó denied Muhammad Osamanmusa. That left Felipe Valério with the task of burying his kick to send Sporting into an eighth final – and he duly obliged.

Key stat: Sporting have equalled a record held by Inter FS of reaching eight finals. They also won their first UEFA competition penalty shoot-out at the fourth attempt.

Nuno Dias, Sporting coach: "We delivered a brilliant performance and we're in the final deservedly, but I don't think we should even have had to go to extra time and penalties, such was our superiority. I was looking at the statistics and it's incredible what we did against the two-time Spanish champions.

"We pressed from the opening whistle and restricted our opponents to very little throughout the match. I couldn't be prouder of my players, but this triumph comes at a price, which is the fatigue inherent in the fantastic game we played."

Duda, Cartagena coach: "We tried everything and were once again very close to the final, but we were ultimately unlucky in the penalty shoot-out. I believe we played a good game, despite all the injury problems that have affected us this season.

"We faced a very strong opponent who always gave us a lot of trouble, but we fought until the end and I am very proud of my players. Now we just need to rest and try to prepare for Sunday's game, especially since we want to at least match the medal we won last year."

Zicky, Sporting player: "It was a competitive game from both teams and we knew Cartagena had a lot of quality, but I think we were far superior today. It's not easy to recover from a two-goal deficit in a Champions League semi-final against an opponent like Cartagena, but our team never falters in crucial moments and that happened again today.

"We are like a family and today we only didn't settle the match earlier because we missed many chances. That's something we must correct in the future, starting with the final. We have great players and even greater ambition. We always train and play to win. It's in our DNA. We will go with all our strength to try and be happy after the final."

Mellado, Cartagena player: "I think we played a very competitive match, which was decided in the end by a small detail – in this case, the penalty shoot-out. It was a back-and-forth game, with a lot of physical play, where both teams competed and put on a good show. We both had chances to win it earlier, but it ended up going to penalties, which they won this time, just like we won last year in the third-place match."

lles Balears Palma 6-6 Étoile Lavalloise (aet, Palma win 5-4 on penalties)

Palma may have seen their competition-record unbeaten run ended at 30 games during their quarter-final against Riga, but the Spanish side began the finals eager to claim a fourth title from as many entries. In contrast, Étoile were only the second French team to even reach the semis, and none had qualified for the showpiece before.

To the delight of their large band of white-clad fans, however, Étoile struck twice in the sixth minute to take control, a solo Ouassini Guirio effort followed by Nelson Lutin pouncing after Souheil Mouhoudine's initial shot had been parried. Lucão used his strength to set up Charuto to pull one back for Palma, but Étoile kept on pressing and Bilal Bakkali converted a free-kick before Guirio sprinted to claim a loose ball and got his second of the game.

Guirio completed his treble when he intercepted a pass from Palma goalkeeper Dennis Cavalcanti and was able to roll the ball into an empty net. Mouhoudine, who hit the underside of the bar, then added the goal his efforts deserved, slotting past Cavalcanti after another breakaway.

That left Palma facing a 6-1 deficit, but they reduced arrears before the break via Fabinho, their four-goal hero from the 2025 final registering with a low effort. And the Spanish side clawed back within three goals just 35 seconds after the interval, Fabinho chipping the ball forward and Lucas Machado forcing it in. Deivão then got the holders even closer with an assured finish following a fast counter.

When Fabinho notched his second, cutting inside from the left and swerving in a shot, Palma still had more than eight minutes to get an equaliser. And they did so four minutes later, Fabinho completing his treble from the penalty spot after Charuto had been fouled.

After a goal-laden first 40 minutes, extra time was scoreless. All three Palma goalkeepers took their turn between the sticks during the shoot-out, and Luan Muller denied Guirio, of all people, before Manuel Piqueras converted the holders' fifth perfect penalty.

Key stat: There were 92 attempts on goal in total, 57 of them for Palma (who had 24 shots on target to Étoile's 15).

Antonio Vadillo, Palma coach: "In the first half, Étoile completely outplayed us. They were far superior. They destroyed us on the counterattack. They always had an advantage in terms of numbers and space. It looked like a game of boys versus men. I have to congratulate Étoile because it had been a long time since we've received such a beating as we did in the first half."

"I think a very important point is that we made it 6-2 before half-time, and then at the start of the second half we made it 6-3. After that, we changed the script. We played a completely different second half, with a more man-to-man defence and much more intensity and aggression, also being aware that they had to tire physically. We were able to turn the score around."

Manuel Moya, Étoile coach: "The assessment of the match is very positive. We competed against a great team, the champions of this competition for the last three years.

"We didn't quite take advantage of some of the chances we had in the first half that would have practically sealed the game for us. And, in the end, a team with the quality and experience of Palma overwhelmed us."

Lucão, Palma player: "It's unbelievable. It was very hard. We knew it in the dressing room at half-time. We knew it was very difficult, but we could not stop believing. We are a team, this championship is our championship, we like it, we love it and we could not stop believing it.

"I think we did an amazing job. It's unbelievable, again, winning and reaching the final. We were not surprised with the way our opponents played tonight. I think we played against them in the main round and they were amazing. We knew that it was going to be tough."

Nelson Lutin, Étoile player: "It was a very tough match. We played a great game against a very competitive team who have won the title for the last three years. In the end, it came down to physicality and experience. We have a very young team and I'm really proud of the way we played on the highest stage in the world.

"We're proud of our run. It's definitely a learning experience, another valuable experience for French futsal. Only one [French] club had ever done this, and we're the second one, so we're proud of that achievement. I hope another French club will make it, and I hope it will be us again."