San Marino beat Liechtenstein to record first victory in 20 years

San Marino experienced an unprecedented night in their football history as Nicko Sensoli's (19) goal led FIFA's lowest-ranked nation to a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League.

This marked their first triumph in competitive international football, effectively ending a 20-year, 140-match winless streak.

Both teams entered the match with a palpable sense of pressure, as both La Serenissima and the Blue-Reds viewed this encounter as a viable opportunity to secure a rare win and conclude their combined winless streak of 179 games.

San Marino drew some confidence from their only previous victory, which occurred in a friendly against Liechtenstein in 2004. It was evident that both teams exhibited nerves in the initial moments of the match, committing basic errors and attempting to force the play.

After a promising phase for the hosts, the visitors believed they had taken the lead around the half-hour mark when Ferhat Saglam received a ball over the top on the right and delivered a first-time pass to Fabio Luque-Notaro, who found the net. However, the offside flag intervened, keeping the score level as the teams headed into halftime.

Luque-Notaro might have anticipated scoring again just five minutes into the second half, but his close-range attempt was thwarted by the San Marino defense.

The decisive moment of the match arrived two minutes later when Giacomo Benvenuti's cross into the box was misheaded by Sandro Wieser, allowing Sensoli to capitalize and redirect the ball past Benjamin Buchel, making it 1-0. This goal ignited exuberant celebrations among his teammates and the spectators.

Despite the mounting pressure in the final moments, San Marino successfully defended against the determined Blue-Reds, who were unable to register a shot on target. As a result, Roberto Cevoli's team ascended to the top position in Group D1 of the Nations League.