Kristall, Braga, San Francisco and Real Münster won thrilling quarter-finals to reach the last 4
– San Francisco and SC Braga to contend place in the final
– Real Münster reach final 4 for second year running
– Kristall sweep aside Lokomotiv inn quarter-final
QUARTER-FINALS
Two clubs who knew each other very well went head to head for the place in the final four, the two previous winners of the Russian league, Kristall and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Rodrigo needed just seconds to open the scoring for the defending champions, striking straight from kick-off.
Lokomotiv equalised soon after but Egor Remizov, at the tender age of 21, grabbed the game by the horns in the later stages, netting a hat-trick to claim what turned out to be a comfortable win for Kristall against their Moscow rivals.
SC Braga fell behind in their game against MFC Spartak to a brilliant Maci header. By the end of the game the Romanian international had a hat-trick, a huge achievement against one of the continent’s top beach soccer clubs, but the Bulgarians couldn’t keep out the Martins brother sand the ever-dangerous Lucao.
At 6-4, Braga seemed far from comfortable, but made the final four, where they will face Germans Real Münster.
San Francisco, who had defeated the defending champions Kristall in their opening group match, kicked off the quarter-final bouts with a tantalising match against Russian side Krylia Sovetov.
Llorenç scored a double for the side coached by beach soccer legend Ramiro Amarelle, but the deciding goal came from keeper Eliott, who smashed in the winner from distance to snatch the match 5-4.
Hosts ACD O Sótão faced Real Münster, who finished third in the 2020 edition of the Euro Winners Cup in their battle for a semi-final place. The sides remined in a ferocious stalemate for the entirety of the match until, right at the death, German international Joscha Metzler struck a volley with just six seconds on the clock.
The celebrations were wild as the German club make the final four for the second year running, but they must now regroup as tomorrow they take on the defending champions…
PLAYOFFS
Panteleichuk’s late winner in the playoffs saw Artur Music hand Casa Benfica de Loures their second – excruciatingly tight – defeat of the day to keep hopes of fifth place alive, while Falfala beat Grande Motte after an 18-goal stunner had to be settled on penalties.
In the other matches, GRAP defeated Portuguese rivals by five goals to four, while Russian club Delta took a convincing 7-3 win against Moldovan club Nistru.
Quarter-final Results
CD San Francisco (ESP) 5-4 BSC Krylia Sovetov (RUS)
BSC Kristall (RUS) 5-1 Lokomotiv BSC (RUS)
Real Munster (GER) 1-0 ACD O Sótão (POR)
SC Braga (POR) 6-4 MFC Spartak (BUL)
Semi-final Fixtures
Real Münster (GER) v BSC Kristall (RUS)
CD San Francisco (ESP) v SC Braga (POR)
For full details on the Euro Winners Cup, including results, standings, stats and fixtures, head to beachsoccer.com.
