by Mgarr United will be meeting Birkirkara tonight at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, 20:30. The Greens’ contingent are keen on backing up last week’s victory over the Owls while seeking the return of a few key players. Birkirkara’s Jose’ Borg provided his first thoughts on taking dual roles with the club, the targets at hand and the importance of consistency.
Mgarr Turn The Tide
The Greens had a torrid start to the calendar year but managed to turn things around against Swieqi United last week, to come back from a goal down to win the match by 3-2. The victory marked the first under the new coaching regime, which was doubly rewarded as Hibernians were unable to add to their tally, thus reducing the gap between the two sides to six points.
The management was elated to grab the three points, “Securing a victory against Swieqi United was a pivotal moment for our team, both in boosting morale and in closing the gap for the third place. The progress we’ve made in recent weeks has been evident, and this win was a testament to that. More than the points, what stood out was the impressive cohesion and structure displayed by the entire team. It was a crucial step forward in our journey, and we intend to build upon this momentum.”
The team took to the pitch with a different formation and the match also marked the return of the top scorer and summer signing, Joelma Alves Gabriel. Asked whether the change in formation was related to the return of the Brazilian or a tactical change targeted toward getting the better of Swieqi United, the coaching staff responded, “Adapting to different match scenarios is key in football, and our change in formation against Swieqi United reflected this philosophy. While every match writes its own story, it’s essential for a team to be versatile and not confined to a single system. The return of Joelma Alves Gabriel from injury certainly adds flexibility to our tactical approach, but our decisions are always made with the collective strength of the team in mind. Last Saturday’s formation was a success, and this adaptability will continue to be part of our strategy.”
Borg On Consistency & Navigating Dual Roles
Meanwhile, although Birkirkara’s win against Hibernians ended in a 3-0 scoreline, the match proved to be a laborious one for the Stripes, bar for two late goals. However, by hook or by crook, the defending champions were once again successful in earning the three points to fully capitalise on Swieqi United’s slip against Mgarr United and extend their lead to seven points at the top.
Jose’ Borg summed up the performance, “It was perhaps not our best performance, but at the end of the day, in this critical part of the league, what is important is to get the three points and keep pushing forward. The Mgarr pitch did not help us, but ultimately even if the performance is not perfect, the important thing is that we maximised the points. I’m happy for the team for this because it puts us in a comfortable position with a seven point lead ahead of our next game.”
As announced by the club earlier in the week, Birkirkara’s coach will be undertaking dual roles in also leading the men’s senior team in the BOV Premier League until the end of the season. The news raised a few eyebrows, but Borg appears to be ready to rise to the challenge, “I have gone into something that is very big, perhaps something not done before. I did do something similar in the past, but this is slightly a bit different and with more coaching responsibility.”
Asked about navigating training schedules, Borg responded, “I’ll be coaching at the same club so obviously training will not overlap and will be stacked on the same pitch. I’m well aware that it is a mentally and physically tiring challenge, but I accepted only because it is for the short term, until the end of the season. I do not think it is possible to do for a whole season, but I think I can manage for the short period and the aim remains to try to achieve all the possible targets.”
However, fixture overlaps between the two Birkirkara senior teams are a real factor which will be tough to navigate as it depends on exterior forces. Tonight presents a first test with the men’s senior team match against Valletta starting at 19:00, which puts pressure on making it to the women’s match against Mgarr United at 20:30.
Navigating Injuries
Mgarr United were without Abigail Camilleri in their match against Swieqi United, but the coaching staff provided the thumbs up on her return this week. There was also positive news on the return of goalkeeper Giulia D’Antuono, Amber Grech and Kelsey Vella who have been nursing more long-term injuries.
The coach said, “I’m pleased to report that Giulia D’Antuono’s recovery is progressing well, and she is nearing her return to training with the team. Amber Grech and Kelsey Vella are also on a positive track towards their comebacks. Having these players return to fitness adds substantial strength to our squad.”
On the other hand, Birkirkara’s Marta Grosso has been appearing heavily bandaged in matches, with Jose’ Borg confirming that the player’s minutes are being nursed. He said, “We’re still evaluating Marta’s condition. She can play but obviously player’s health comes first in my priority. She is training normally and with full intensity, but obviously week in week out there’s a bit too much pressure on her leg. So, I continuously speak with my technical staff to evaluate her condition and we will proceed accordingly depending on the final training session.”
Match Expectations
The Stripes have come out victorious in every encounter this year, but the Greens showed a more resilient opening half in the previous encounter. The coaching contingent does not seem to be backing away from the challenge, “Birkirkara has consistently been one of the top teams in the league, and their track record speaks volumes. Facing them is always challenging, but it’s a challenge we welcome. Securing points against them would be a significant achievement, and while we recognise the importance of these matches in the standings, our focus remains on continuous progress and performance. Our goal, as always, is to step onto the field aiming for victory.”
On the other hand, Jose’ Borg acknowledged the improvement of the Greens but is steadfast on another victory. “We know the top four clubs are nearly all on the same level. I think Mgarr had a very positive game against Swieqi and maybe Swieqi had their own turbulences over the week which affected their performance. However, I am certain that it will be a tough match against Mgarr. There’s good players, both Maltese and foreign, so I’m sure Mgarr will not be yielding the three points so easily.”
The match begins at 20:30 and will be played at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. The match will be aired delayed on TVM Sports+.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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[…] hand, the Stripes’ Jose’ Borg weighed in on the performance, “As I said in the pre-match comments before the game against Mgarr, they are passing through a very good phase. They beat Swieqi before our game and showed good […]