Catania Dominate Europa FC Futsal in UEFA Futsal Champions League Preliminary Round

Europa FC Futsal faced a tough challenge in their opening match of the UEFA Futsal Champions League Preliminary Round, falling 9-1 to Italian side Catania on Matchday 1 in Group E.
Catania wasted no time in asserting their authority on the game, with Michele Podda opening the scoring just seconds into the match. Podda’s quickfire goal set the tone for what would be a relentless display from the Italian team. By the 7th minute, Catania had already doubled their lead, thanks to a well-taken goal by Luis Turmena.
Europa FC found themselves overwhelmed by the intensity and precision of Catania’s attack. Carmelo Musumeci added a third for the Italians in the 6th minute, and the goals continued to flow as Podda struck again just before the halftime whistle, making it 4-0 at the break.
Despite Europa’s efforts to regroup during halftime, the second half started in much the same way the first had ended. Podda completed his hat-trick in the 21st minute, extending Catania’s lead to 5-0, before Gabriel Pina and Turmena added two more goals in quick succession.
Alvaro Caravante managed to pull one back for Europa in the 34th minute, giving the Gibraltarian side a brief moment of celebration amidst a difficult match. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed as Catania continued their onslaught. Attilio Arillo and Luigi Musumeci added two more goals, sealing a comprehensive victory for Catania.
Europa’s goalkeeper, Moxham, was kept busy throughout the match, making several crucial saves to prevent the scoreline from being even more lopsided. However, Catania’s attacking dominance was too much for the Europa defence to handle.
The match ended with Catania firmly in control, leaving Europa FC with much to ponder as they headed into their next group stage fixture the following day. With this heavy defeat, Europa FC needed to regroup or face a similar fate to that they faced last summer with some heavy defeats.
The final scoreline of 9-1 reflected Catania’s dominance, showcasing their potential to be a formidable force in this year’s UEFA Futsal Champions League.
In other group matches on the same day Norwegian side Utleira beat Danish side Hjorring 4-3. The latter of which Europa would face next on Thursday before break on Friday ahead of the match against Utleira.

Scorers:
Catania: Michele Podda (1’, 7’, 21’), Luis Turmena (3’, 24’), Carmelo Musumeci (6’), Gabriel Pina (23’), Attilio Arillo (27’), Luigi Musumeci (37’)
Europa: Alvaro Caravante (34’)