by The UEFA Women’s Nations League returns for the final stint this week. Malta’s coach Manuela Tesse has confirmed the twenty-three players who will be vying for promotion in the final fixtures against Moldova and Latvia.
The Final Matches
The UEFA Women’s Nations League is heading into it’s final group of fixtures. Malta is currently topping Group C1, followed by Latvia, Andorra and Moldova. Malta’s coach Manuela Tesse has chosen the group of players who will represent the nation in these final fixtures.
Malta’s team will head to Chisinau and kick-off the penultimate fixture in the competition, against their hosts Moldova on December 1st at 15:00 CET, with the match being broadcast on TVM Sport+. A win for Malta would confirm them as the winners of the group and confirm promotion to League B, irrespective of the outcome between Latvia and Andorra which will be played earlier (12:00 CET). Malta will play their final fixture of the competition against rivals Latvia, on Tuesday 5th December at the Centenary Stadium (16:00 CET). Tickets for the match are available online.
Noting the impressive tallies notched by the Maltese side which currently sees the country hold the top spot, it is understandable that plenty of the players who have performed at country level continue to receive call-up. Despite this, there are still a small number of changes and new call-ups in the selection. Probed on these changes Manuela Tesse noted, “Throughout the UEFA Women’s Nations League I tried different players. It is important to rotate players.”
On the other hand, when probed on the importance that several players have been also doing well at club level since the previous international window and the associated confidence boost that this gives as they head into this crucial stage with the national team, Tesse replied, “During this period, I feel there is a good collaboration between the clubs and the national team. When players are confident they perform well both for the national team and the club.”
Speaking on the final fixtures, which will see the teams play each other for the second time, Tesse continued, “Now we know our opponents as much as they know us. Thus, I believe that the team that will make the difference will be the one who will play with the biggest heart.”
The Goalkeepers
Janice Xuereb (Birkirkara) retains her place after impressing in goal for Malta, having featured in all previous matches in the competition, as well as for Birkirkara. Manuela Tesse opted to call-up eighteen-year-old Raisa Costantino for the first time since the player joined SPD Tharros over the summer.
Probed about Costantino’s selection and the improvement observed since moving to the Italian outfit, Malta’s coach said, “I had the opportunity to visit Raisa when her team played against Lumezzane.” The coach praised the work done and as ever notes there is more to achieve, “I must say that Raisa has improved. The league in Italy is a challenging one which will definitely help her as she needs to work hard.”
This marks another change in the goalkeeping department as has been in every window thus far, which confirms a number of promising young Maltese goalkeepers. Probed about this, Tesse replied, “In my opinion the most important role in women’s football is the goalkeeper. We are pleased to say that we have young promising goalkeepers, but obviously they need experience. Like with any other player, our job is to stay close to them in preparation for the future.” Among them is also Giulia D’Antuono, to whom the national team camp wished a speedy recovery after she contracted an injury while training with the team.
Defensive Unit
The importance of the upcoming fixtures is underlined with a defensive selection that continues to present plenty of experience. Captain Emma Lipman (Como), remains in the company of Birkirkara’s Stephania Farrugia, Ann-Marie Said, Valentina Rapa and Charlene Zammit, with the latter reported to be making a quicker-than-expected return from injury. Swieqi United’s Emma Xuereb and Jessica Dimech retain their places and are joined by club-mates Jade Schembri and Tammy Falzon as the two changes in the unit. The latter duo have been impressing for the Owls, perhaps most notably shining in the two crucial battles against Birkirkara in the past few weeks.
Probed on whether these performances confirm the big-game mentality needed in this final stage of the UEFA Women’s Nations League competition, the coach noted that the level needed for the upcoming fixtures is even higher, “The intensity of international matches such as UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s Nations League is very different from the local league.”
However, the national team coach praised the knock-on effect that the improved level of the local league is having on the national team. She said, “Last week we saw Birkirkara and Swieqi in two very good matches, with good performance and physicality. This can also be said about the match between Mgarr and Hibernians, and San Gwann against Lija Athletic. Both were tough matches. It is important to note that the local league is improving, which is helping the national team.”
Midfield
The midfield selection is the only one which features no changes from the previous call-up. This means that those at Tesse’s disposal will be Brenda Borg (Mgarr United), Rachel Cuschieri (Sampdoria), Veronique Mifsud (Birkirkara), Nicole Sciberras (Hibernians) and Swieqi United duo Dorianne Theuma and Shona Zammit. All of these players have featured in the previous matches of the competition and several bring heaps of experience beyond that too.
Probed about the consistency in the call-up and whether this means that she has found the right balance in the centre of the pitch, Tesse responded, “We have very good midfielders, but my aim is to find a good balance between all the players called up. Every player needs to learn their teammates’ characteristics. In fact, during training I rotate players so that they play with different teammates every time. Then it’s my job to understand their synergy and choose who will play.”
Attacking Line-Up
The forward selection features limited changes, with Maya Lucia (ZNK Split) being re-called after also featuring in the first international window. Tesse praised Lucia’s performances, “Maya is another young player who is doing well with ZNK Split. So, I felt she deserved to be with us during this international window.”
She joins Haley Bugeja (Inter), Ylenia Carabott (London Seaward), Maria Farrugia (Lewes), Alishia Sultana (Birkirkara) and Kailey Willis (AS Meran), all of whom found the net in recent weeks and who retain their place since the previous international window.
The team is understood to be undertaking final preparations before heading off to Moldova.
Tickets for the final home UEFA Women’s Nations League match of Malta, which will be played against Latvia on Tuesday 5th December at 16:00, are available online.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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