State league: Obermais challenges the leaders

Who can stop class leader St. Pauls? This question is repeated on the 22nd national league matchday. The Paulsners have 17 wins and four draws in 21 games, as well as 55 points and 57 goals in the current championship. Goalkeeper Antonio Tarantino had to reach behind him 13 times, meaning the Paulsners have both the most dangerous offensive line and the best back line in the league. The lead over second-placed Bozen 96 is now ten points. So that nothing stands in the way of direct promotion to the top league, coach Martin Klotzner's boys want to expand this even further in the coming weeks.

On matchday 22, the FCO kickers, who climbed to third place in the table last Sunday with a 1-0 away win against Virtus Don Bosco, will try to trip up the leaders for the second time this season. The Merano club has collected 43 points so far, only two less than second-placed Bozen's 96. However, the gap to the leaders is already 12 points.

The team coached by Franz Josef Theiner is a force at home. With 25 points from eleven games (eight wins), they are in third place in the home statistics behind St. Pauls and Weinstraße Süd. In front of their home crowd, the relegated league team has only suffered two defeats this season, namely against Natz (0-1, September 8, 2013) and against Moos (also 0-1, March 9, 2014). Ciaghi and Co. shared the points with the leader himself in the first half of the season. On Sunday, the Meranese team want to use the home advantage to stop Klotzner's team's winning streak and inflict their first defeat in the current championship.

Bozen 96 against Moos on Saturday

The 21st round of the highest amateur league in South Tyrol will kick off on Saturday, when second-placed Bozen 96 and Moos will face each other in the Drusus Stadium in Bolzano. The Talferstädter want to get back on the road to success as quickly as possible after the surprising 2:3 defeat against Natz last Sunday. However, this undertaking is likely to be extremely difficult, as the Passeirians are already planning their next coup after their last celebrated 3-1 win against Weinstraße Süd in order to move even further away from the bottom of the table. For the fourth-placed team from the lower region, they now have to iron out this bitter defeat in their home game against newly promoted Schlern.

Virtus defender Demis Franzoso: “We have to do our best from now on”

Virtus Don Bosco, fifth in the table, is also likely to be looking for compensation. The green-whites from the state capital have only taken two points from the last four games and want to repeat their 3-1 win from the first half of the season against Pichl Gsies on Sunday. “We need to stop making excuses and blaming others. We players are responsible for the course of the season and the sometimes disappointing results. From now on we have to give our best and get the most out of the remaining games,” Virtus defender Demis Franzoso was quoted as saying in a press release from the Bolzano club.

In the lower half of the table, thirteenth-placed Meran and newly promoted Nals will fight for important points against relegation on Sunday, while bottom-placed Latsch will be in Stegen and third-bottom Bozner Boden will be guests at SC Passeier. The game between Neugries and Natz completes the 22nd matchday.

State league, 22st matchday (Sunday, March 6, 2014, 16 p.m.)

Bozen 96 – Moos (Saturday, 18 p.m.) Stegen – Laces Merano – Nalles Neugries – Natz SC Passeier – Bolzano Boden Wine Route South – SG Schlern Obermais – St. Pauls Pichl Gsies – Virtus Don Bosco

The table:

1. St Paul's 55 points 2. FC Bozen 96 45 3. Obermais 43 4. Wine Route South 37 5. Virtus Don Bosco 37 6. SC Passeier 36 7. Pichl Gsies 28 (-1 game) 8. Natz 25 9. Neugries 24 10. Moss 21 11. Stegen 20 (-1 game) 12. Schlern 19 (-1 game) 13. Merano 18 14. Bozen Ground 17 15. Nals 16 (-1 game) 16. Laces 14

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State league: Obermais challenges the leaders

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