by Saturday presents an Assikura Women’s League double-header at Dingli Ground. The match between Lija Athletic and San Gwann will be the first fixture at 18:30, followed by Mgarr United against Hibernians at 21:00. San Gwann will hope that this week they can convert their positivity into points, but Lija Athletic come into the match with their own agenda.
Key Points
Both sides will come into the match seeking their first points after their opening defeats at the hands of Birkirkara and Mgarr United. Having been starved of possession for long durations of the match by the Stripes, Lija Athletic will hope they can make more inroads against San Gwann. On the other hand, counterattacking could be an option that they could go for, if they can be clinical in front of goal.
Despite the score, the team showed positivity in seeking to win possession high up the pitch and were not afraid to pile bodies forward in set-pieces, even against the defending champions. An ability to convert such situations into goals could set the new team well on its way up the table.
On the other hand, San Gwann were narrowly defeated by Mgarr United and were arguably one of the most positive surprises in the opening weekend. Their tactical ploy thwarted Mgarr United’s rhythm for long durations. However, going forward the Yellows also deployed glimpses of a technical finesse in passing and matched it with a speedy forward line that could hurt defences if given the chance.
Words From The Coaches
Questioned about moral following the initial defeat at the hands of Birkirkara, Lija Athletic’s coach Jethron Azzopardi said, “We were aware that Birkirkara were at the peak of their Champions League preparations, so the team was positive as expectations were not high. Therefore, we continued to work on our objectives.”
Looking ahead to the fixture against San Gwann, Azzopardi was asked whether the physicality shown by the Yellows against Mgarr United is something that worries him. However, the coach simply noted, “We saw a strong San Gwann side that improved from last year and we are aware of it.”
Meanwhile looking ahead to attacking options, the coach was asked whether the positivity shown in their set-pieces against Birkirkara is something that the team will continue to exploit going forward. Azzopardi responded in the affirmative, “Our only chance to hit Birkirkara was either from set pieces or quick counter attacks. As a team, we are going to keep going with this mentality. Obviously we were unlucky to get the best team on our debut at their peak condition. The team and myself will grow throughout the season showing some good quality football against lower level teams.”
On the other hand, San Gwann were close to getting a point against the Greens for long periods of the match. Questioned whether the physicality shown by his team against Mgarr United is something that spectators can expect to be a characteristic of his team, San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri said, “In my opinion we had a good performance against Mgarr United, even if the result did not go our way. This, especially when you consider our last season and the short time that we’ve had to work together on these new ideas. Each game is different, however we will continue work on improving our physicality, technique and tactics. This way we can keep on improving ourselves and our results.”
Questioned on the status of captain Annabelle Rapa following the injury suffered last week against Mgarr United, the coach said, “She is feeling better now and working on her recovery.” Asked whether she could make an appearance against Lija, Camilleri said, “She may be on the bench, but it is unlikely. Definitely not in the starting eleven.”
Speaking about the team’s preparations going into the match, Camilleri said, “We have been preparing well for the game against Lija Athletic. It will also be a tough game as both of us have lost our opening fixture and I am sure we will both be going for the win. It is important not to take any team for-granted, because a lot of things can happen in a match.” Finally, asked whether he will be changing anything tactically following the strong performance against the Greens, San Gwann’s coach said, “Rather than changing the setup, it will likely be more of a different set of players both in the first eleven and on the bench.”
Kick-off will be at 18:30 at Dingli Ground. The match will be followed by that between Mgarr United and Hibernians. Tickets may be purchased at the door for 2.50 Euro.
Lead Images: Lara Schembri / Lija Athletic
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