by San Gwann & Valletta will kick-off February commitments tonight at the Centenary Stadium, at 20:15. Valletta are keen on continuing to shut out San Gwann, but the Yellows have an extra incentive to down the leaders of the group to protect sixth place.
Opposing Results
The two teams meet to conclude the first round of the final phase. Valletta head into the confrontation with something to protect, knowing that they are yet to concede a goal against San Gwann. On the other hand, the Yellows will be motivated to stop Valletta from making it three wins out of three against them this season.
The two teams also come into the match on the back of different results. Valletta struggled to convert dominance into goals in the first half against Mtarfa, but still ultimately prevailed with a 5-0 scoreline. Meanwhile, San Gwann succumbed to their first defeat at the hands of Lija Athletic. The result puts pressure on the Yellows to defend sixth place. Failure to obtain points tonight means that Lija Athletic could equal San Gwann’s tally on Friday if they win the match against Mtarfa.
Probed about positives from the game against Lija Athletic, despite the loss, San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri replied, “There are always positives and certainly there is progress. However, the fact remains that we lost three crucial points and we must work more to earn them back.”
San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri rejected the idea that his team would be happy with at least a point against Valletta considering that his side lost both previous encounters between the two, “If you do not go into the pitch with a winning mentality, you have lost half of your chance of winning the match. So, we go into the pitch with the aim to earn three points.”
On the other hand, Valletta continued their winning streak since the split but team manager Chris Vella is aware of the threat that San Gwann possess. He said, “We are expecting a tough game from San Gwann. I have no doubt that they want to make up for last week’s loss to Lija Athletic. This, together with the fact that they made new signings who will have had more time to settle in means that this is not a game that we will be taking lightly.”
Dealing With Valletta’s Dominance in Possession & Rising Talents
Indeed speaking of signings, San Gwann are still yet to unleash Cristina Hili, while Reham Mellah had her first taste of football against Lija Athletic. The striker was well marshalled but together with Shania Gheiti and Yasmin Attard could be one to watch in the match up front for the Yellows.
On the other hand, Valletta continued to rotate their central attacking line. Anna Aloisio led in attack once more last time out, while Laura Muscat and Sarah Vella Barberi were employed on the widths and also continued their positive form.
Suzanne Farrugia Sacco came off the bench and got herself on the scoresheet as well. The youngster has been fielded out wide at times, but has continued to show good instincts in the box. Probed about the youngster, Chris Vella said, “Suzanne has great potential. She has made her mark and adapted well with our senior squad this season.”
As to her positioning, Vella nodded to her versatility, “She can play in various attacking positions and all will depend on the final selection as we assess the players’ coniditon following Tuesday’s U19 match against Birkirkara.” The teams managed a 1-1 draw in the Assikura Women’s Youth League, with Valletta still leading the Stripes in third and second place, respectively in the U19 (Youth) league.
Valletta have dominated possession in the matches against the bottom four rivals. However, it appears that Julian Camilleri is more interested in the effectiveness of his own team’s approach with the ball. “We must make sure to utilise the possession that we have and take the chances we create. There is no point winning the battle for possession if we don’t use it well. We must be wiser in how we read situations in the match.” Indeed, the team had good opportunities against Lija Athletic, but at times failed to convert the final ball which saw the team struggle to find a way back into the match.
On the other hand, Valletta have grown more confident in their approach, fielding their full-backs further forward. It seems that the team is not likely to become any more defensive any time soon according to Vella, “Our type of play obviously depends on the opponents we face. With the teams now split, we have had more opportunities to be more offensive and we will continue to work on this.”
The two teams will kick-off the matchday tonight at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15.
Lead Images: Lara Schembri
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