by Mgarr United will meet Lija Athletic at the Victor Tedesco Stadium tonight, with kick-off set at 20:30. The Greens’ Ryan Vella praised the team spirit in striving for a strong string of results, while eyeing further progress against Lija Athletic. Jethron Azzopardi underscored the team’s work on set-pieces, while urging focus from his team for a strong showing against the strength of Mgarr United.
Slips & Comebacks
Mgarr United will meet Lija Athletic with the hopes of stringing a second victory in a row following their win against San Gwann, against a side who had a strong start to the season, but was dealt a tough 5-0 defeat by Swieqi United last weekend.
Mgarr United’s Ryan Vella spoke highly of the team’s character and performance to secure the three points against San Gwann, “It was a very important match as we knew that it would be tricky against a side that have good counter-attacking capabilities. Before that match San Gwann had the same points as us and had had some very positive results apart from the first game against Birkirkara. Positively for us, I feel that against San Gwann we had the most complete performance so far this season both offensively and defensively, where we had control in both areas.”
Meanwhile, Lija Athletic’s Jethron Azzopardi admitted that Swieqi United deployed their tactical and technical strengths to secure a victory, but lamented errors which opened the floodgates. He reflected, “Swieqi was the best team we faced so far. Fast players, movement without the ball and physically fit. We hesitated, committing silly fouls that resulted in the first goal.”
On Managing Squad Depth & Key Qualities
Mgarr United will welcome back Abigail Camilleri to the fold in this match following serving her one match suspension after the sending off against Birkirkara. The Mgarr United coach has rotated his defensive unit quite a bit and appears keen on maximising the attributes of his team to earn points.
Speaking about balancing the competitiveness required and team spirit, Ryan Vella said, “We will always try to find the best possible solution for each game. Whether by making individual changes or tactical changes, we’ll make sure that we give our team the best chance of winning the game against every opponent.”
The Mgarr United coach finished by praising the competitiveness in the side, “We’re very lucky to have a good team with nearly two players in each position.” Healthy competition is always welcome to maintain a high standard in training and in games. To be honest all players are up to the challenge and are ready to compete with each other, while keeping a very positive vibe in the pitch and in the dressing room.”
On the other hand, Lija Athletic have sought to improve their depth, but did lose a key outlet from last season in Elisa Xuereb. The speedy winger was one of the side’s key drivers going forward and could face the team tonight, but wearing the white and green of Mgarr United.
While the chances created statistic will not be amongst the highest in the league for Lija Athletic, the side have had a knack of being dangerous from set-pieces. Vanessa Honorio Carneiro has been key in securing free-kicks for the side, while the team has also done well to win corners to aid their attacks. However, crucial to conversion is a consistent delivery and Shakira Bugeja has been one of the best in the league in this department.
Probed about the importance of this reliability for his team, Jethron Azzopardi remarked the work done on the training pitch. He said, “We have been practicing a lot on set pieces as with our limitations we need to take advantage of any chance we get to score even from a dead ball situation.”
Match Expectations
Eyeing tonight’s fixture, Mgarr United’s Ryan Vella weighed in, “Lija are a very disciplined team and we know how tricky this match can be. They have a very strong setup in defending and at the same time have good players that can hit you on the counter or with a direct ball in behind. Playing at the Victor Tedesco will make this game about who manages to control the spaces best, whether in possession, without and in transitions.”
Mgarr United’s coach appears focused on his team building on their momentum, “It’s another game where we will seek improvement from previous games and will try and implement our style of play against a well organised team.”
Meanwhile, Lija Athletic’s Jethron Azzopardi believes his team is well aware of what to expect from the Greens, “We faced Mgarr in a pre-season friendly and we are aware what we are facing. They are one of the strongest teams in the league and will be a difficult match for us.” The Lija Athletic coach urged focus from his side, “We have to be extra cautious this time round and avoid silly fouls and mistakes.”
The two teams will meet at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, with the match beginning at 20:30.
Lead Images: Lara Schembri / Elise Bajada
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