Lija Ready To Parlay Against Swieqi At Dingli Ground

Lija Athletic and Swieqi United will conclude today’s double-header at Dingli Ground, starting at 19:30. Jethron Azzopardi and Dorianne Theuma discussed their latest victories in view of navigating squad and tactical decisions, while giving their expectations of tonight’s encounter.

On The Back Of Victories

Lija Athletic and Swieqi United will head into tonight’s match with two victories apiece. Jethron Azzopardi’s side pipped Mtarfa by a narrow 1 – 0 victory, while Dorianne Theuma’s side downed San Gwann by 3 – 1.

Lija Athletic’s coach rejected that his team were anything other than deserving of the three points against Mtarfa, “After analysing the game, one can determine that we deserved the win in many aspects. One of the goals cancelled was a clear goal. Yes, Mtarfa deserved a goal on the two opportunities created, but not a draw.” Jethron Azzopardi also underlined the search for bigger margins next time round, “It will be a different story when we will have the full squad at our disposal.”

Meanwhile, the Swieqi United coach, Dorianne Theuma, praised her side’s patience in breaking down a patient San Gwann team, “Nowadays teams give more importance on being tactically disciplined. Against San Gwann, we were prepared and having watched a few past games, knew what to expect. We had to be patient and find that right moment to penetrate the space, which I think the team executed well at times. However, there is always room for improvement.”

Adapting To The Team’s Attributes

Lija Athletic have been taking to the pitch without the defensive leadership of Sarah Caruana, who will be expected to make her first appearance this afternoon.

Speaking of expanding the squad depth in search of targeting points, Jethron Azzopardi remarked, “We have been rotating our players from the first match through various reasons. However, in the coming match we will have Sarah (Caruana) back at our disposal and Milena (Stagno), who is a good addition to the team. We will give a good game to any team, conceding less goals for sure.”

On the other hand, Swieqi United’s coach has been vocal about developing younger players into title-contenders. The Owls have deployed a different shape this season, opting for a 4-1-2-1-2, which Dorianne Theuma was probed about in view of the squad attributes, as well as the relevance of having experienced leaders in helping younger players adapt to different systems.

The Swieqi United coach replied, “As coaches, we must adapt our tactics based on the formation that maximizes our squad’s strengths. It’s essential to have experience across the team to support our younger players as they continue to develop. However, while it’s true that we have a young team, we can no longer use that as an excuse. Most of our players have settled in well, and with the guidance of our experienced players, everyone understands their roles on the pitch.”

Match Expectations

There is a blueprint that is steadily developing in such matches, with an onus on Swieqi United to break down a defensive Lija Athletic. The latter will be eyeing at least an improved score against the Owls this season, on the back of having earned a much improved scoreline against Birkirkara.

Jethron Azzopardi was unwilling to divulge whether the team will be adopting a strictly defensive approach, or whether they will venture to try to deny Swieqi United control of possession. Instead the Lija Athletic coach replied, “We are aware of the difficulty of playing against top teams, as you have to be extra cautious. Our team is ready for another tough round against such opposition.”

Meanwhile, Swieqi United’s Dorianne Theuma appears aware of the threat that Lija Athletic pose in the tight confines of Dingli Ground, “Losing by just one goal to Birkirkara was an important result for Lija, who are clearly up for any challenge. They might adopt the same game plan against us, or they might want to play a bit more direct given that Dingli Ground is smaller (than the Centenary Stadium).”

However, the Swieqi United coach is backing her team to put in the right performance to inject momentum in their season irrespective of their adversary’s plan, “The team is prepared for both scenarios and we are ready to play our own game. Week after week we are settling more. Patience will yet again be the key for this encounter.”

The two teams will take to the pitch at Dingli Ground at 19:30, following the encounter between Valletta and Mtarfa (17:00).

Lead Image: Michael Azzopardi (Swieqi United)

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