Riga Futsal 2-3 Barça: Through to the Final Four

First objective of the season achieved. The Barça futsal team claimed a very important win in Riga against no less than the Riga Futsal team (2-3), booking their place in the Final Four in the process.

A necessary but difficult win, with the wait for final whistle proving agonising. Barça went ahead but a goal for Riga with 5 minutes to go meant that another would put the blaugranes out. Now the Final Four awaits from 2 to 5 May at a venue yet to be decided.

Riga press well

Barça started well, looking for Pito, with a mid press, but Riga made it difficult to get chances on goal. Ricardinho and Thalles were causing problems the other way and Dídac Plana had to intervene (min 2).

Adolfo grabbed the first after a quick break, smashing in a rebound (0-1, min 6). However, Riga kept up the pressure, and despite chances for Catela, Touré and Adolfo again, the hosts equalised through a Vargas shot that defected in off André Coelho (1-1, min 10). Half-time 1-1.

Nerves abound but win confirmed

More of the same after the break, Barça with the majority of the game, but with Riga pressing and Ricardinho and Thalles showing their skills. Dídac Plana was again called into action to stop it becoming 2-1 (min 21). Pito then hit the post (min 23), as did André Coelho, after a long shot saved by Labuts (min 24). However, Catela soon put Barça back in front, dispatching another rebound past Labuts (1-2, min 24).

Riga pressed for an equaliser but Jesús Velasco's side broke to score again through Touré (1-3, min 30). All to play for with 10 minutes to go, and Riga ended up using a fly keeper as they had nothing to lose. The idea soon bore fruit after Thalles scored a great goal (2-3, min 35). The nerves were evident in the final five minutes, both sides having chances, but Barça held on for a 2-3 win to go through to the Final Four.

GAME STATS

RIGA FUTSAL, 2
BARÇA, 3

Riga: Labuts, Vargas, Kozlovskis, Vaporaki, Ricardinho - starting five - Thalles, Rimkus, Sens, Kuzmin, Serginho, Mickevics, Rozkovskis, Fogels.

Barça: Dídac, André Coelho, Catela, Dyego, Pito - starting five - Matheus, Antonio, Adolfo, Erick, Touré. 

Goals: 0-1, Adolfo (min 6). 1-1, André Coelho, own goal (min 10). 1-2, Catela (min 24). 1-3, Touré (min 30). 2-3, Thalles (min 35). 

Referees: Marc Birkett, Vedran Babic. Yellow card for André Coelho from Barça.