by Cyprus will be welcoming Malta at the AEK Arena, in Larnaca, to initiate the UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign this evening at 18:00 CET. Renos Dimitriadis will be looking for a victory in his first competitive match in charge, but he will be facing a Maltese side seeking three points as they charge for an immediate return to League B.
Sixth Overall Meet To Kick Off Campaign
The two Mediterranean islands have plenty of history against each other, with this evening’s meet being the sixth overall time the two have battled it out on the pitch. Things are pretty evenly matched in the head-to-head, with two wins on either side, and an initial 1-1 draw back in 2013.
However, things have changed significantly since the last meet in 2019, with both sides undergoing a fair amount of changes, including in their coaches, as well as their trajectory. In fact, it will be the first meet between the two coaches of the two national teams, as Renos Dimitriadis leads Cyprus against Manuela Tesse’s Malta for the first time.
Dimitriadis is a fairly new coach for the Cypriot national team, having taken over in October, following the last European Qualification cycle. Friendly matches in the international windows that passed were held against local teams Apollon Ladies and Aris Limassol, making tonight’s meet somewhat of a black-box in international football level.
On the other hand, Malta continues under the leadership of Manuela Tesse, who took over the side in 2022, and signed a four-year extension in December. While the side was fairly systematic with a 4-3-3 setup in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign in 2023, Tesse mixed things up as the last year unfolded.
Both countries have confirmed their intentions for a victory to kick-off their challenge for promotion into League B. Cyprus search for their maiden promotion, while Malta is seeking a second promotion, following relegation from League B during the European Qualifications Group Phase last year.
Match Expectations
Manuela Tesse admitted that there is little to go on in terms of what to expect from Cyprus, considering the change in coach, “Of course he will bring his ideas. However, the characteristics of the players are known. They are technical players so this is something that we must keep in mind as of course they have their strengths.”
On the other hand, Tesse is pushing her team to show their credentials, “On paper we are strong. We must not overestimate ourselves, but we are also not underdogs. We must go on the pitch and show what we can do.”
The Cypriot national team features players who mostly play their football in the local Cypriot league. The Maltese outfit features a wider mix of players who feature foreign leagues, while the majority compete in the Maltese Assikura Women’s League. The latter is undergoing it’s most competitive season with a four-horse race for the title with four games to go.
Manuela Tesse was probed on whether she believes the improvement in the domestic league, together with the continuity of players doing well in foreign leagues makes Malta stronger from a physical and tactical perspective in this second UEFA Women’s Nations League.
She replied, “The pitch will provide the answer to this question, but one thing is certain: a strong league produces stronger players, which ultimately benefits the national team.”
It’s all to play for as all teams start their challenge equal on the scoreboard. Group C2 will be initiated by the match between Georgia and Andorra at 16:00 CET, followed by the encounter between Cyprus and Malta starting at 18:00 CET. The match between Georgia & Andorra may be followed live online here, while the match between Cyprus and Malta will be broadcast on Cytavision and TVM Sports+.
Lead Images: Cyprus FA / Malta FA
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