Match Preview: Malta vs Andorra

Malta and Andorra will continue their commitments in the UEFA Women’s Nations League tonight at the Centenary Stadium at 20:00. Back-to-back encounters present a different headache, but Manuela Tesse’s Malta are eyeing more points to retain the top spot, while Jose Antonio Martin’s side are ready to spoil the party.

Expectations From The Match

The Maltese team maximised their points from the first fixtures and also have history on their side against Andorra, all of which creates a feel-good factor in the contingent as they head into these matches.

Questioned on whether she believes her side can continue building on this momentum in Friday’s fixture, Malta’s coach Manuela Tesse replied, “We have to continue the momentum. These are important matches that we must win. Today, I showed my players the celebration after they scored the first goal against Moldova and told them to focus on how happy they were. That is why we play football, that celebration. We may make mistakes, but in the end it’s about playing football to get to those celebrations.”

Meanwhile, Andorra opened their commitments in the UEFA Women’s Nations League with a victory over Moldova, following which they fell to defeat against Latvia. Andorra’s coach Jose Antonio Martin was upbeat about the morale heading into the match, “We have a good morale because we worked a lot in the last few weeks and we have an ambition to play well here in Malta.”

Andorra’s Jose Antonio Martin is no stranger to Malta having been the coach of Andorra in the encounters of 2016. Questioned on whether he believes that the growth since that time will enable his side to emerge victorious in the match, he replied, “We have chances because the level is similar between the two sides. Malta have a lot of players playing in big leagues, but as Andorra we have a team that competes in Catalonia. For us that is good because it means that a lot of our players can work together.”

Back To Back Meetings & Its Effect On Selection

Coaches were faced with an all-too familiar selection headache ahead of this window. However, they come into the match with the advantage of having also studied their opponent in their opening two matches.

Malta’s Manuela Tesse was probed about her decision to omit Rebecca Bajada and Georgiana Mifsud from the final twenty-two, considering the good form that the two have been having with their respective clubs.

Tesse responded, “I speak with all the players who do not make the final selection because I believe it is a matter of respect to explain why. In the case of young players we decide to rotate, so I spoke with Georgiana about this. She was with us in the last window, so we wanted to rotate and give a chance to another player. Even if the young players don’t play, being with around the team gives them experience which is important.”

In the case of Rebecca Bajada she said, “She did a surgery a few weeks ago. Even though she played in the league, the level of these games is too high to risk. However, her level is also very high and maybe the final window will be her chance.”

Despite the omissions, the coach also noted that injuries also play a role, as they in fact did following the opening match against Latvia where two players had to be replaced. Considering this, she noted the importance of having players ready to play at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, the coach was also probed about the selection of both Kailey Willis and Ylenia Carabott for these fixtures. Tesse responded, “The two are a different kind of forward so they offer something different to the team.”

The two sides will also be playing back-to-back fixtures against each other in a span of a few days. In one sense, it creates a difficulty in how one can successfully get the better of a team twice in succession. However, the coaches were probed about whether this has also enabled them to target the selection of players to truly attack the weaknesses of a single opponent.

Malta’s Manuela Tesse noted, “Andorra are very good technically if I compare their style against other sides who are more physical. So, yes in a sense the fact that we will be only playing them helps because you can focus on this. However, still remains to be seen how they will play tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, probed about his thoughts on the back-to-back fixtures and its effect on his selection, Andorra’s Jose Antonio Martin replied, “For us it is not important. We have two matches and we will approach them accordingly.”

The Balance of Play

Haley Bugeja has thus far been the only goalscorer for Malta in the competition. Asked whether this reliance on the forward worries her, Tesse responded, “No absolutely. This may be the case in the UEFA Women’s Nations League so far, but if we look back there are many players who scored in the past few months. Also, Haley scored but there were many players in good positions to score in these matches and many players were involved for her to score. In the end what matters is that the ball goes in.”

Meanwhile, probed on whether he thinks that stopping Bugeja could be the key to get points from the match, Andorra’s Jose Antonio Martin replied, “No, Malta have a great team, so we have to defend against all that quality not just that player.”

Conversely, Andorra have shown a knack for converting set-pieces, while Maria Ruzafa has been a key player in drawing fouls through her runs. Malta’s Tesse was probed on whether she considers having more discipline to be crucial from a defensive aspect to avoid conceding these set-pieces that could lead to goals. She responded, “No, I think we play with the same mentality. Ruzafa is a strong player but I also believe that we have a good defence who can handle this challenge.”

On the flip-side, questioned about Ruzafa’s importance in getting these opportunities, Andorra’s Jose Antonio Martin replied, “For us the importance is the team. Each player has a role to play and we focus on this.”

Meanwhile, Jose Antonio Martin was presented with a reversed question on whether he considers the height of members within the Maltese defence to be an issue that may require more creative set-piece routines. He responded, “In female football, being taller is not as important as having strong legs to get the height in jumps. So, I do not think this is too much of a problem in my opinion.”

The Match

The first act begins tonight at 20:00 at the Centenary Stadium. Malta’s Manuela Tesse has rallied the home support in search of helping the team kick-off the window commitments with a positive result before travelling to Andorra. The other match that was played in Malta, against Moldova, saw the third largest crowd in women’s football in Malta with 674 going through the gates. Tickets for the match against Andorra may be purchased online or at the door. The match will also be live-streamed.

Meanwhile, Group C1 will be reinitiated earlier in the day by Latvia, who will welcome Moldova at 13:30 at the Zemgales OC Stadions in Jelgava. Latvia will be searching for their second win in the group, while Moldova seek their first points.

Lead Images: Malta FA / Andorra FA

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