Access to Serie D is a family clash. Real Normanna vs Real Forio: the clash of the Sanchez brothers

The coolness from eleven meters, the surgical diagonal and the phenomenal restart: with a comeback victory, Real Forio overturned Gladiator in the one-off match played at Calise, gaining access to the playoff final. The dream continues, the Turks keep alive the ambition of reaching Serie D. And now the final act of Group A, the last obstacle before flying to the national phase of the post-season: Carlo Sanchez's team will face Real Normanna away, fresh from the draw against Nola that guaranteed them qualification to the next round of the playoffs.

The family derby is renewed, with the black and green coach who will once again cross paths with his brother Luigi. It is not an unprecedented confrontation between the two coaches, but this time the stakes give the match a special and evocative meaning. It will be played once again as a one-off match, on the field of the team that finished the championship with the best placement.

The rules, compared to the semifinals, remain unchanged: in the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, extra time will be played, but not penalty kicks. In the event of a further tie, the home team will be the one to get through. The islanders will need a win, but even against Gladiator we saw a group that was not satisfied with two out of three favorable results and played to get the whole stake.

Balanced first half with few chances, but an orderly, compact and always focused Forio. The team admired at Calise expressed all its qualities on the field, both technical and tactical. Then, a blackout of a few seconds at the beginning of the second half led to the advantage of the guests on a penalty kick: the goal conceded, however, did not alter the mentality of Sanchez's team who, with patience and lucidity, started the comeback.

The penalty won by Serrano was masterfully converted by Acosta: a heavy ball and a huge responsibility, but the green and white centre forward did not let himself be intimidated, scoring with coolness. The joker came from the bench: an expected change, but right at the decisive moment. Castagna, returning from injury, took on the role of superhero and dragged the team to triumph. The winning diagonal in the 83rd minute completed the island comeback, but it was in injury time that the stroke of genius arrived. With Real Forio numerically inferior and the Gladiator under full pressure, the striker controlled the ball in his own half of the field, skipped past two opponents and launched a counterattack, finishing off the goalkeeper with extraordinary lucidity. The final score was 3-1: the result was acquired, the final was achieved.

It won't be the first seasonal clash between Carlo and Luigi Sanchez, already opponents in the two championship matches that ended in a draw (0-0 in the first leg, 1-1 in the return), but this time the family derby takes on a much more significant weight. Real Normanna, an ambitious team set up with the declared objective of promotion to Serie D, has confirmed its value by reaching the playoffs and now aims to complete the journey in front of its fans.

The Granata can count on a deep roster, remarkable individual qualities and a clear playing identity, but they will have to face a combative, determined and never-giving-up Real Forio, who have shown they have heart, a spirit of sacrifice and well-defined ideas. The island team starts as underdogs, but will leverage their solidity and a consolidated tactical structure. A high-profile match is expected, with a fiery atmosphere and very high intensity: a balanced confrontation, as demonstrated by the seasonal precedents, which promises excitement until the last minute.

Luigi Sanchez: “It will be exciting to face Carlo's Real Forio”“We got through the round thanks to a rule and I'm very happy to be able to continue this great journey. Our constant thought is to go to Serie D, in any way. At the same time, I'm sorry for the opposing team: Nola is a great team. I don't want to talk about my boys, but about the opponents, who were amazing and didn't deserve to be eliminated. We earned the qualification by virtue of the excellent championship we played. We arrived at these challenges with a reduced squad, but everyone was ready. We gave everything, now we want to give Serie D to Aversa. Carlo?

I meet my life teacher. I joke: let's hope it ends in a draw, so that no one will be upset and we advance to the next round. I'm excited. Carlo should have a statue built. He has great attributes, he gave a winning mentality to a team that wasn't used to certain stages. Carlo, President Amato and the entire Real Forio deserve compliments: they were magnificent", declared Luigi Sanchez at the end of the match between his Real Normanna and Nola.