Season 117 - Are you ready?

[talisman]

Nouvion FC put themselves in good shape for a first Champions League Final when they overcame a tricky slightly lower Quality team in the away 1st Leg of the Semi-Final. Conceding to a counter-attack in the first minute, the Management immediately changed formation and tactics and Nouvion equalised through a counter-attack of their own in the 7th minute. With half-an-hour gone, part-time DMC Ibrahim Kodjia suffered an injury and the Management could only throw on 3* DMC Ignacio Saez in his place. Saez then produced his match of a lifetime, helping the defence stop the opposition attacks and providing the pass for striker Jelle Popelier to rampage through the opposition half to score the winner with 9 minutes left to play.

Home to the 3rd place team in the League, Nouvion were a lot more composed than in their last home match two days ago. Popelier was in the thick of the action again, scoring the opening goal from a Federico Benitez free-kick, after left-winger David Dorizon had been injured in a foul tackle. Benitez scored his first goal for the club just before the break, putting the finishing touch to a defence-splitting pass from fellow midfielder Chris Mann. On the restart, the visitors came out with more purpose to their play and threatened to come back into the match, but two goals in two minutes from left wingback Celio Pita and Mann knocked the stuffing out of them, a final goal from substitute winger Junta Kato sealing the win.