U23 World League

Tirana Stadioni
Spectators: 7487 (Terracing: 5616, Seating: 1722, VIP seats: 149) The mood of the audience was pleasant when Oran Tahiri made the kick off which started today's match. A collision led to Akademia Maliqi getting a freekick after 6 minutes play. Merdin Meksi hit a great ball. Oran Tahiri received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 11th minute. Cristoforo Iacomini tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Ennio Guidoni's late challenge caught a Akademia Maliqi's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Ennio Guidoni helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Merceron United getting a freekick after 17 minutes play. Ennio Guidoni hit a great ball. Ilirian Elezi struck a weak shot in the 18th minute. Cristoforo Iacomini didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Akademia Maliqi. Through an outstanding action, after 19 minutes, Cristoforo Iacomini successfully got his hands on the ball before it slid into the goal at the right post. In the 23rd minute, Oran Tahiri made a precise shot to the right of Cristoforo Iacomini. Merceron United's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 1-0. Olsi Berberi hit a great freekick 25 minutes into the match. When Ennio Marcantonio came up free with the goalie in the 26th minute, the Merceron United fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Ennio Marcantonio couldn't finish the play. Oran Tahiri scored 2-0 in the 28th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Cristoforo Iacomini, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. In the 33rd minute, Oran Tahiri reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Cristoforo Iacomini. The goal made the score 3-0. A collision led to Merceron United getting a freekick after 36 minutes play. Alfredo Antonelli hit a great ball. After 37 played minutes, Akademia Maliqi's Ilirian Elezi shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Cristoforo Iacomini came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Akademia Maliqi reached it. 40 minutes into the game, Olsi Berberi was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Akademia Maliqi's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Merceron United the free kick. Olsi Berberi hit a great freekick 40 minutes into the match. In the 41st minute the ball was on its way in behind Akademia Maliqi's goalkeeper Sidni Tili, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. When Paulin Balliu fell near the penalty area in the 42nd minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Akademia Maliqi's protests and gave Paulin Balliu a yellow card for diving instead. Sidni Tili took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Alex De Toni, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. An unexpectedly hard shot by Ennio Guidoni in the 47th minute of play forced Akademia Maliqi's goalkeeper Sidni Tili to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Alex De Toni made a kick off. With his leg Sidni Tili managed to avoid a goal in the 52ndth minute, when Merceron United's Alex De Toni fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. In the 60th minute there was a penalty for Akademia Maliqi. Ilirian Elezi stepped forward and shot the ball to the right of a diving Cristoforo Iacomini. 4-0. Emilio Conti received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 64th minute. Sidni Tili tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Cristoforo Iacomini made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Oran Tahiri in the 66th minute of play. In the 73rd match minute, Akademia Maliqi was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Xhenit Çinari to maneuver through the defense. In the 74th match minute, Akademia Maliqi was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Olsi Berberi to maneuver through the defense. In the 75th minute, Ennio Marcantonio got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. Sidni Tili was a little too slow when Emilio Conti got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 81st minute. The score was now 4-1. After 84 played minutes Merceron United got a freekick which was hit by Alex De Toni. In the 86th minute, Alex De Toni made a precise shot to the right of Sidni Tili. Akademia Maliqi's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 4-2. 89 minutes into the game, Sefedin Gega cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 5-2. Cristoforo Iacomini was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. With a little luck, Akademia Maliqi's Sidni Tili got control of the ball when Alex De Toni tried to sneak it across the goal line.