by Valletta and Lija Athletic will conclude today’s double-header at Dingli Ground (KO 16:30). Valletta go into it seeking to maintain their unbeaten run, however Jethron Azzopardi’s side are motivated for the points as they still hunt down second place in the group.
Assessing Their Wins
Valletta were on the ropes for the first time in the final phase last time out, but came back to secure the victory against San Gwann. Team manager Chris Vella pointed toward areas for improvement but applauded the grit of the team to secure the victory nonetheless. He said, “We dominated most of the match but once again we wasted a lot of chances. In fact, looking at the statistics we had 65% possession with thirteen shots on goal and eight corners, against their two. The players came out with a winning mentality and kept on pressing for the result, despite falling behind unexpectedly.”
On the other hand, Lija Athletic faced a bolstered Mtarfa side, but came away with the victory nonetheless. Asked about coming away with the three points despite the challenge provided by Mtarfa, Lija Athletic’s Jethron Azzopardi replied, “Mtarfa are growing game after game, with good tactical discipline and closing down spaces, making it difficult to score against them. However, we were always in control of the game and never had any doubt that we were going home with three points.”
The team grabbed the winning goal from a corner kick, which Jethron Azzopardi confirmed is an element that the team is looking to exploit moving forward, “We worked on set pieces recently and our last goals were all from dead ball situations. Our team has grown a lot throughout the season, showing also diversity in defensive and scoring methods.”
Match Expectations
Valletta have continued to dominate the bottom four section of the table and will take to the pitch with the winning mentality that has gotten them this far. The team was boosted by another commanding victory in the Assikura Women’s Youth League, with Chris Vella confirming the positive knock-on effect, “That is definitely a morale booster, especially having quite a few players common to both teams. However, each game has it’s own story. So, against Lija, we start a new page with the aim of finishing this round without dropping any points.”
Meanwhile, asked about the task at hand for the weekend, Jethron Azzopardi acknowledged the strength of Valletta, “Valletta no doubt have the better squad from the bottom four. They have experienced players that have been playing for some time in the women’s league.” However, Azzopardi backed his team to muster a real fight to take points in their last meet against Valletta, “It has always been a tight encounter. It will be the last time we meet this league season. Let’s see what it will bring.”
The two teams will face each other at Dingli Ground at 16:30, following the other bottom four encounter between Mtarfa and San Gwann (14:00).
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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