by Mgarr United and Lija Athletic will conclude the semi-finals of the Assikura Women’s Knockout at the Centenary Stadium, with kick-off set at 19:00. Ryan Vella gave his take on the growth of the team to earn this place with a dramatic comeback, while discussing the challenge brought by Lija to make the final.
Free-flowing Goals
The two sides will pick up where Hibernians & San Gwann leave off, as Mgarr United take on Lija Athletic with the two seeking a place in Thursday’s Assikura Women’s Knockout final.
Mgarr United head into it following a late come-back against Birkirkara to oust the holders and make the semi-final. Ryan Vella was probed about the victory in view of the growth in mentality throughout the season to get to a stage where the team could produce such a result late on and against the Stripes.
He replied, “Yes, one hundred percent. Constantly playing the same starting eleven due to injuries helped us achieve more consistency, especially in this final stretch of the season. Mentally the players now believe that they can beat any team as long as we play at our best. To go a goal down against Birkirkara, with their one of the few dangerous shot on target we suffered against us, and then comeback to score three goals, shows how determined and resilient the players are.”
The match also gave the team a boost with the return of Maia Debono from injury. Questioned about her return, Ryan Vella replied, “Maia’s return is a big boost for us as she gives us added depth in various positions in the pitch, especially for this semi-final.”
The Mgarr United coach also acknowledged the progress being made by Veronique Mifsud & Brenda Borg who are making their way back from ACL injuries sustained earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Lija Athletic saw an initial lead immediately cancelled by Mtarfa, but the side soldiered on to earn a confident victory by 4 – 2. Coached by Anton Cremona for the second consecutive match, the side continued displaying improved attacking creation. Despite absences in the team, the team secured the place to battle it out against one of the top four sides this afternoon.
Cup Ties & Finals
Mgarr United have had the upper hand in previous ties between the two sides, but have often found a Lija side that was stubborn to break through. On the other hand, the Greens will have increased motivation, knowing that a victory could take the side to the first final since the 2017/18 season, where they were edged out on penalties by Birkirkara.
Ryan Vella discussed tonight’s prospects in view of the changes that Lija Athletic have made since the two teams’ last encounter. He said, “Lija had better results in the final part of the season after the league split, with added foreigners and other players their team achieved a good position within the Bottom Four. As usual, our job is to prepare the team in the best possible way. We’ll try to make sure that the players are prepared tactically and mentally for what they will face in the encounter.”
The Sporting Fan reached out for comments from Lija Athletic’s contingent but none were received at the time of writing.
The match between Mgarr United and Lija Athletic is set to begin at 19:00, provided the semi-final between Hibernians & San Gwann is won in ninety minutes (beginning at 16:30). The two semi-finals will be played at the Centenary Stadium.
Lead Image: Elise Bajada
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[…] Stadium is set to welcome Hibernians and San Gwann at 16:30, with the second semi-final between Mgarr United and Lija Athletic pencilled in at 19:00 in the same […]