UEFA Futsal Champions League elite round report: Sporting CP ...

UEFA Futsal Champions League holders Illes Balears Palma, fellow two-time champions Sporting CP and Kairat Almaty, and debutants Cartagena Costa Calida are through to May's finals after winning their elite round groups.

The four group winners progress to the knockout finals on 1 or 2 and 3 or 4 May, with the hosts and exact dates to be confirmed.

Group A

Cartagena Costa Calida (ESP, hosts), Riga Futsal Club (LVA), Catania (ITA), United Galati (ROU)

Cartagena made a commanding start against fellow debutants and sole preliminary round survivors Catania with an 8-1 victory including a Francisco Cortés hat-trick. They went three points clear as they came from behind to defeat Riga 4-1. Riga beat United Galati 6-0, and the Romanian champions held on to defeat Catania 3-2.

Riga's hopes were ended on Matchday 3 as they lost 3-2 to Catania, Michele Podda getting his competition-leading 13th goal of the season before a late fightback by the Latvian side. Cartagena booked their finals slot as they beat United Galati 6-1.

Group B

Kairat Almaty (KAZ), Etoile Lavalloise (FRA), Olmissum (CRO), Futsal Dinamo (CRO, hosts)

Kairat, who last made the finals in 2021, will be back again four years on as they followed their 4-2 win against Etoile Lavalloise with a 1-0 defeat of Olmissum. That proved enough for Kairat to qualify with a game to spare as Dinamo, who held Croatian rivals Olmissum 1-1 with a late ten-metre penalty by Tihomir Novak, lost 4-3 to Etoile Lavalloise on Thursday.

Etoile Lavalloise and Olmissum did put on an entertaining game to conclude their campaigns, drawing 4-4 with Soufiane El Mesrar completing his hat-trick for the French club in the last minute to end on 12 goals for the campaign, one behind Podda, and ensure his team ended in second. Kairat celebrated their progress with a 5-1 defeat of Dinamo.

Group C

Sporting CP (POR, hosts), Sporting Anderlecht (BEL), Braga (POR), Plzeň (CZE)

Sporting went into Friday's deciders three points clear after beating Anderlecht 4-1 and Plzeň 7-2. Braga opened with a 4-2 defeat of Plzeň but then lost 6-1 to Anderlecht.

Semi-finalists in 2022/23, Anderlecht beat Plzeň to give themselves hope of a return if Sporting lost to Braga (depending on the scoreline). And in a thriller between the Portuguese rivals, Sporting led 4-2 with ten minutes left, were pegged back to 4-4, and clung on to reach the post-2006/07 finals for a record 11th time.

Group D

Illes Balears Palma (ESP, hosts), Semey (KAZ), Record Bielsko-Biała (POL), Lučenec (SVK)

Palma, aiming to make it three titles from as many entries, entered the last set of games three points ahead after 4-1 wins against both Semey and Lučenec, each featuring a hat-trick from Fabinho, who missed the 2024 final injured. Debutants Semey kept their debut hopes alive on Thursday with four Dedezinho goals aiding them to a 5-0 defeat of Record, who beat Lučenec 3-1.

Dedezinho scored four again as Semey defeated Lučenec to give themselves a chance of progress if Record beat Palma, depending on the scoreline. In another tense decider, Record led 1-0 after 15 seconds and, after trailing at half-time, went 3-2 up with less than five minutes left. However, Marcelo equalised 60 seconds later and the Palau Municipal d'Esports de Son Moix faithful were able to celebrate not just progress but Palma setting a new competition record unbeaten streak of 22 matches.