by Lija Athletic will welcome Hibernians at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, at 20:30 tonight. Lija Athletic proved tricky customers for the Paolites first time round, but Hibernians’ will come into the match high on confidence and keen to make it five wins in a row.
Aiming For Better
Lija Athletic will come into the fixture having suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of San Gwann, who currently pip them in sixth place. Things could have perhaps panned out differently especially considering the early chances that they had. “We suffered the law of football, losing a number of chances will lose you the game. We need to be more clinical in front of goal.” Lija’s coach, Jethron Azzopardi conceded.
The new side did manage to frustrate Hibernians for long spells in the first encounter. Lija’s Azzopardi is under no illusion about the fact that the Paolites are on the up, but is also not ready to relinquish the match so easily. He said, “Hibernians are top of the table and are there for a reason. They have matured game after game as we did, it will be a interesting encounter.”
In fact, Keith Gouder’s side come into the match flying high following a 3-2 victory over top-four rivals Mgarr United, which took them to the top of the table with 22 points. Hibernians’ gaffer is in search for the same level against Lija Athletic to stay ahead in the table, “As I always say every game has its own story so even though we had a good performance and won against Mgarr, today we have to be focused and ready to do the same against Lija.”
However, the match against Lija Athletic saw Hibernians struggle to create with ease, ultimately finding the winner through Alexis Espitia. Gouder was probed about the improvement he expects considering the system changes made since the first encounter and the fact that back then they were missing their captain Martina Borg through injury.
He replied, “We are being more consistent in our performances since the first round and this is thanks to the effort and dedication that the players put in on a daily basis. Where it comes to the midfield, yes we changed a bit our strategy and so far it was fruitful. Regarding Martina, besides being the captain she is a very relevant and creative player, so having her with the starting eleven is always a big plus for us.”
Key Players & Tactical Battles
Lija Athletic were boosted by the introduction of Rohanne Zahra against the Yellows. Probed about her, Jethron Azzopardi is eager for the boost in the forward line. He said, “Rohanne is a valid player addition to the squad and needs time to get used to the dynamics. However, she will help our attacking players and hopefully help us score more goals.”
Meanwhile, the coach also revealed that Leanne Micallef will be able to take to the pitch against the Paolites. However, Nell Zarb Cousin is still returning from injury.
On the other hand, Keith Gouder has been attempting to deal with the absence of Alessia Caschetto in the left-back role. Both Sarah Urpani and Yolande Attard have slotted in the position, but the latter has been preferred in recent matches. Being a more attack-minded player, the coach was probed about how the presence of Attard changes the position. He said, “Yes, Yolande is used to play in a more advanced role on the flanks and this boosts the team when we are attacking because she pushes more up front. Having said this, Yolande is aware that she has defending duties and needs to balance this between going forward when needed and be part of the back line when we are defending.”
The coach praised the performance, “I’m very happy with her performance against Mgarr especially since this was her second game in that position and it definitely wasn’t an easy match. I’m sure that with more games she will keep performing and improving.”
Meanwhile, one key factor about Hibernians has been their ability to score from set-pieces. “Set-pieces can play an important part in today’s football. They can win you a match when failing to score in open play.”, Gouder noted.
Chloe Ellul and Kayleigh Chetcuti have been particularly pin-point in their deliveries, which has allowed the team to put the finishing touches. Probed about the two, Gouder replied, “Besides being very strong players like all of their teammates, it is no surprise to see Chloe and Kayleigh delivering assists. Chloe, besides having a good and strong shot, already provided a couple of assists in open play when pushing forward on the flank. On the other hand, Kayleigh is able to seize the moment and finish on goal with force and precision. The direct free kick against Mgarr in last season quarterfinals of the Assikura Women’s Knockout comes to mind. So yes, they are an extra boost to the team.”
It will be interesting to see how the two sides approach the match, with Lija Athletic being acutely aware of the threats posed by Hibernians. However, if there is anything that the new side has shown is that they are unafraid to take the battle to anyone. On the other hand, Hibernians probably rather enjoy sitting on the perch of the league table and will fancy extending their stay into the international break.
The match will begin at 20:30 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. It will be the final match for the two teams before they split for the international break, which will see the return of the UEFA Women’s Nations League commitments for the European sides.
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 for online purchase.
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