by Switzerland found goals through Sydney Schertenleib, Seraina Piubel, a Riola Xhemaili brace, Aurelie Csillag and Geraldine Reuteler in a 6-1 win in Lugano, as Malta’s isolated sparks — Kailey Willis’ audacious equaliser, Maya Cachia’s penalty save and Alexandra Gatt’s defensive work — were eventually undone by the hosts’ collective control.
Team Selections
Rafel Navarro stuck with Livia Peng in goal, behind a quartet of Nadine Riesen, Viola Calligaris, Noelle Maritz and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic. Geraldine Reuteler and Sydney Schertenleib were given license to push forward, flanking captain Lia Walti in midfield. Seraina Piubel and Riola Xhemaili supported Aurellie Csillag in attack.
Meanwhile, Manuela Tesse continued to rotate in goal giving Maya Cachia the start behind further changes at the back as Maya Lucia and Shona Zammit operated as full-backs flanking the partnership between Alexandra Gatt and Oceane Grange. Rachel Cuschieri captained the side in the absence of the suspended Emma Lipman, holding midfield alongside Jana Barbara and Nicole Sciberras. Kailey Willis led the attack, flanked by Haley Bugeja and Maria Farrugia.
How It Unfolded
Malta’s penultimate UEFA Women’s Nations League fixture ended in another heavy defeat in League B, as Switzerland marked their first match at FC Lugano’s new stadium with a 6-1 victory in front of more than 7,200 spectators.
The scoreline reflected the difference between the sides across the night. Switzerland controlled long passages, repeatedly forced Malta into last-ditch defending, and were ruthless enough to turn pressure into goals at regular intervals. For Malta, there was a moment to savour through Kailey Willis’ audacious first-half equaliser, while Maya Cachia produced a number of strong interventions to keep the score from stretching further.
Malta arrived in Lugano with the group table already effectively settled, a suspended Emma Lipman missing from the defensive line, and several established players unavailable through injury. Manuela Tesse had spoken before the match about a “new chapter” and the need to look toward the future. This, against the group leaders, was the difficult version of that process: players taking responsibility in a demanding environment where Switzerland gave them little time to settle.
Switzerland’s early intent was clear. Sydney Schertenleib tested Maya Cachia from a tight angle on the sixth minute, with the Malta goalkeeper reacting well to get an arm to the effort as the home side looked to make their pressure count.
The warning lasted barely a minute.
On the seventh minute, Schertenleib muscled back possession and drove forward before lifting a precise finish into the far top-right corner. It was a goal that carried the quality of the individual action, but also the tone of the opening spell. Switzerland were sharper to second balls, quicker to react around the box, and able to turn Malta’s defensive moments into immediate danger.
Malta attempted to push forward from a free-kick on the 13th minute, but Livia Peng dealt comfortably with the delivery. Almost immediately, the match swung back toward the other end, where Alexandra Gatt produced one of Malta’s best defensive sequences of the half.
Nadine Riesen’s low cross looked set to find Aurelie Csillag for a tap-in, only for Alexandra Gatt to time her slide well and cut out the danger. Moments later, she was again positioned to intervene against Csillag’s delivery, before Shona Zammit added another block as Malta struggled to move out of their own box.
Those moments mattered because they showed the nature of Malta’s task. The visitors were not only defending shots. They were defending waves, second actions and repeated Swiss pressure that forced concentration to be reset almost immediately after every clearance.
Then came Malta’s moment.
On the 22nd minute, Kailey Willis spotted Livia Peng off her line and struck from distance, lifting the ball over the Switzerland goalkeeper to bring Malta level against the run of play. It was a goal of awareness and execution, stunning the home side and briefly shifting the mood of the match.
The celebration, however, had barely settled before Switzerland answered.
On the 23rd minute, Seraina Piubel restored the hosts’ lead with a left-footed effort into the bottom-right corner, the shot travelling between bodies after Schertenleib had again been involved in the creation. It was a damaging response for Malta, not simply because of the scoreline, but because it immediately removed the chance to build any sustained confidence from Willis’ equaliser.
Malta tried to find another route forward when Kailey Willis won a free-kick in Switzerland’s half on the 28th minute. Shona Zammit and Alexandra Gatt combined over the delivery, but Switzerland won the foul inside the box to end the threat.
From there, Switzerland resumed their search for a cushion.
Aurelie Csillag escaped Alexandra Gatt on the 33rd minute but pulled her shot wide of the near post. Oceane Grange then took a tactical booking on the 37th minute as Csillag threatened to punish a mistake, and Switzerland made the resulting set-piece count. Geraldine Reuteler curled a well-delivered free-kick toward the far post, where Riola Xhemaili applied the finishing touch to make it 3-1.
Two minutes later, the gap widened again. Lia Walti’s delivery was not dealt with cleanly at the near post, and Csillag headed into the roof of the net despite touches from Maya Cachia. From parity on the 22nd minute, Malta had conceded three goals in 18 minutes.
That sequence shaped the match.
Switzerland continued to push before the interval, with Alexandra Gatt and Oceane Grange doing enough between them to delay further punishment, before Maya Cachia gathered a low central effort from Seraina Piubel. Still, by half-time, Malta were 4-1 down and the brief lift from Willis’ equaliser had been overtaken by the pace of Switzerland’s response.
Tesse made a change at the break, with Emma Flannery replacing Jana Barbara. Switzerland also introduced Lia Kamber for Sydney Schertenleib, removing the scorer of the opener but maintaining their attacking rhythm.
The second half began with another major Malta intervention.
On the 53rd minute, Switzerland were awarded a penalty for handball in the box despite having already put the ball in the net during the same passage. Riola Xhemaili stepped up, but Maya Cachia read the effort well, dived the right way and pushed the penalty away with a strong hand.
It was a fine save and one of the better individual Malta moments of the evening. Yet the pattern of the match remained largely unchanged.
On the 62nd minute, Csillag went close again after making the most of Malta’s nonchalance while playing out from the back, but placed her finish wide. A minute later, Maria Farrugia had a glimpse at the other end, only for Lia Kamber to close the space as the Malta forward attempted to change direction. Almost immediately, Cachia was required again, charging out to scoop the ball as Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic tried to release Csillag behind the defence.
Haley Bugeja, who had appeared to take a knock earlier in the half, was replaced by Jade Flask on the 65th minute. Switzerland followed soon after with Coumba Sow and Smilla Vallotto coming on for Lia Walti and Seraina Piubel.
The fifth Swiss goal arrived on the 70th minute and again came from Malta’s difficulty in managing pressure near their own goal. Geraldine Reuteler sensed hesitation as Malta tried to play out from a free-kick at the back, hunted the ball down, and finished to make it 5-1.
There was brief respite through Maria Farrugia a minute later, as she pushed forward on the wing, but her cross was dealt with. Emma Flannery then tried to release Kailey Willis, though the two were not quite on the same wavelength.
Switzerland kept coming. Coumba Sow placed a finish wide from a corner on the 73rd minute, before Csillag struck the near post on the 74th minute after being released behind by a long ball. Leila Wandeler replaced Csillag on the 76th minute.
Malta then adjusted the defensive structure. Tammy Falzon came on for Nicole Sciberras on the 77th minute, with Malta shifting to a back three. Tammy Falzon slotted in on the right, Alexandra Gatt moved centrally, and Oceane Grange continued alongside them. Two minutes later, Emma Xuereb replaced Maya Lucia, who was forced off through injury.
The sixth goal came on the 81st minute. Maya Cachia saved the initial attempt from Lia Kamber, but Riola Xhemaili reacted quickest to fire home the rebound.
Even with the result long decided, Switzerland continued to search for more. Kamber sent an effort over the bar after working a short corner with Geraldine Reuteler on the 83rd minute, before Elle Touon replaced Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic a minute later. Malta had a rare chance to deliver from a wide free-kick on the 85th minute, but Livia Peng collected comfortably in the air.
In the closing stages, the visual contrast on the touchline carried its own story. Switzerland coach Rafael Navarro cut a pensive figure despite the size of the victory, while Manuela Tesse appeared to ride the emotions of a match that offered Malta flashes of resistance but also long periods of strain.
Maya Cachia produced another important save on the 86th minute, blocking Smilla Vallotto’s shot after Leila Wandeler’s cut-back, before Alexandra Gatt blocked the rebound from Coumba Sow. Geraldine Reuteler was then denied a second goal by the offside flag on the 87th minute.
Final Score: Switzerland 6 – 1 Malta
Standings & Final Match
For Malta, the final score was harsh but not misleading. Willis’ goal will stand as the highlight, both for its execution and for the surprise it briefly brought to a match Switzerland had been controlling. Cachia’s penalty save and later interventions also prevented the damage from becoming heavier, while Alexandra Gatt’s blocks and interceptions offered evidence of a generation looking to take responsibility.
For Switzerland the win seals their return to League A. However, for a side aiming higher, the control was collective and repeated, signalling positive return on Rafel Navarro’s ability to mould the side as the nation bids for a place in the World Cup with conviction. It is not only in the quality of the finish or the speed of the attack, but in the ability to keep pressure sustained, to recover immediately after conceding, to punish hesitation, and to make the opponent defend one action after another until something eventually breaks.
Malta now return home to face Türkiye in their final fixture of the group, with a last opportunity to capture points on home soil. The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium on Tuesday at 19:00 CET. Meanwhile, Switzerland travel to meet Northern Ireland for their final match in search of confirming their return to League A and the next stage of qualification at the same time.
Lead Image: Switzerland FA
