by The two nations will meet again tonight at the National Stadium in Andorra. The hosts eye a better showing in front of the home crowd, but Malta will be searching for three more points in their hunt for promotion to League B.
Setting Sight On The Upcoming Match
Although in away territory, Malta head into the match with a high morale following a dominant performance on Friday. However, Andorra have been hard at work to find solutions to reverse the result.
Questioned whether she fears any complacency from her players as they head into the match on the back of a strong performance on Friday, Malta’s coach said, “I think you always fear this a little bit, when you win in this way. However, this is what I am here for. It is my job to make sure that they are in the right frame of mind and focused on the game. I do not think we will have a problem.”
On the other hand, Andorra’s Jose Antonio Martin’s task to motivate his players and improve the performance in a span of a few days is no easy feat. However, the Andorran coach is not shying away from the challenge and neither are his players. Speaking of the approach to the match, he said, “We always prepare for matches to get something, to get a victory and that’s what we are focused on.”
The coach also noted that this time his team will have the crowd on their side as they look to find a way to stop Malta for the first time. “In the end, I am here, at home. I’m certain we will have options to attack but we will have to be immaculate.”
Recovering From Friday
Questioned about her team’s recovery and any potential injuries that have cropped up since then, Malta’s coach Manuela Tesse responded, “We have one player who is sick but we hope she will be fully recovered for the match.” Questioned whether Emma Xuereb will be available considering the early substitution on Friday, the coach replied, “It was a preventive substitution.”
Maria Farrugia made a spectacular return from injury on Friday, including getting herself among the goals to contribute to the scoring spree. Questioned about her return and whether she could feature for a longer stint in the match on Tuesday, Tesse was not keen to reveal too much about her plan for the match. She replied, “We managed her minutes well, much in the same way that we did Stephania Farrugia’s in the first window. It is a testament to the work we do together with the medical staff who are very good at what they do. I think the players have to trust in us. Tomorrow we will see.”
Meanwhile, the Andorran side have had their own physical recovery to get through but with the additional headache of finding a quick-turnaround to motivate themselves for the upcoming battle and also solve the issues that plagued them in the first match.
Team Spirit
Malta’s Haley Bugeja continued her fine form in front of goal, making it five goals in three matches. It is a tally that catapulted her to the top-scorer spot out of all competing countries in the UEFA Women’s Nations League competition thus far. On Friday, the nineteen-year-old could have possibly turned her brace into a hat-trick had she made the claim to take the penalty kick, but appeared happy to share the scoresheet with her teammates.
Questioned about that mentality and team spirit, Manuela Tesse responded, “The team spirit is very important if we want to be a strong team. I think my players are good footballers, but firstly they are good people. For me this is very important.”
Similarly, the captain of Andorra, Marina Fernandez, referred to the team’s collective work in search of a better result. She said, “They were superior to us in the spaces but we have discussed these things. We cannot ask for more than what we have today and we must continue to grow little by little. It is a transitional competition. I think with everything that has been worked on these two days since the first game, I don’t know if the result will be tighter, but I think that the ideas will be much clearer.”
Having already played the first hand, both coaches are likely to try to throw a few surprises to get the better of each other, before the players head back to their domestic clubs. The match will also be played in different conditions to that on Friday, with temperatures expected to drop to just under five degrees Celsius at kick-off.
The contest starts at 19:00 CET at the National Stadium in Andorra. The entrance to the stadium is free and the match can also be watched online.
The match will be preceded by the other encounter in Group C1, between Moldova and Latvia. That game starts at 17:00 CET at Zimbru Stadium and will also be streamed online.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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