by Birkirkara and Mgarr United will battle it out for second place at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15 tonight. Vince Galea and Ryan Vella gave their thoughts on the title race, while discussing the motivation for the next best placed finish for two sides who have had very different campaigns in the past few years.
A Hard-Fought Title Race
Birkirkara and Mgarr United will be battling it out for second place this evening, following the confirmation of Swieqi United’s maiden claim last weekend.
Birkirkara fell to a 3 – 0 defeat to Swieqi United which confirmed the Owls are mathematically unreachable ahead of this final league matchday. Vince Galea gave his view on the proceedings, “Unfortunately we lost Viverly (Nanez) due to an injury early in the game and at the same time of treatment, when with ten players, we conceded the first goal. It was then very difficult for us to get in the game, knowing that we had to push and unbalance offensively with the danger we might face against the fast Swieqi attackers. On the day Swieqi were better than us and were the deserved winners.”
Assessing the league campaign, with the Stripes dethroned after years of dominance, Galea continued, “I believe that we did the best with all the resources available and challenges we had this season. However, there is disappointment because I think that we could have had better performances in some games, which would have gave us the chance to finish first. Notwithstanding, I would like to congratulate Swieqi for being so progressive during the season.”
Having seen the confirmation of Swieqi United as title winners following the encounter against Birkirkara, Mgarr United secured a 3 – 1 victory against Hibernians, with the team displaying positive football in the match despite any fresh disappointment of the end of the title race.
Ryan Vella praised the performance from his team, “I believe that the last two games – the loss against Swieqi and the win against Hibernians, were two of the better performances we had all season. Even though the players knew that the league was lost before the game against Hibernians, the team played with a very positive attitude from start to finish and got rewarded for it.”
Although the maiden title eludes them still, the Greens are on the brink of securing the best place finish since the 2019/20 season, where they also ended as runners-up. Ryan Vella gave his view of the league campaign and this possibility, considering the side was the most hard hit by long-term injuries.
Vella underscored the positives in the trajectory of his side, “This season was one of the most difficult seasons in the last few years in terms of teams challenging for the title with four teams battling it out until the last few days. Hence, for us to be in the position we are in, dealing with a lot of injuries and to finish in second place would show how much growth and progress this team has achieved.”
Squad News & Outlook For The Match
The two teams will have a direct opportunity to claim second place tonight. The Greens are in the better position, with a draw being enough to secure the place.
Vince Galea did not seem too upbeat about the chances of Viverly Nanez appearing against the Greens tonight, “Unfortunately we have to wait for further checks with regards to Viverly although unfortunately it does not look very positive.” The Birkirkara coach also confirmed that Martina Fenech will not be able to play any further part in this season.
The Birkirkara coach would not give any insight into his gameplan for tonight, nor tactical expectation from his opposition. However, Galea underlined the importance of the right attitude and mindset ahead of the fixture, “We will try to motivate the players about the importance of this match and do our best to secure the three points. The performance on the day can be the difference between these two close teams.”
Counterpart Ryan Vella’s injury update for the shorter-term injuries brought mixed news, “Giulia (D’Antuono) and Abigail (Camilleri) recovered and are ready to play. Maia (Debono) is making a lot of progress in her recovery but we’ll take things day by day. We are hoping that she can be with us before the end of the season.”
Probed about the tactical approach considering that a draw is enough for his team, Vella appears to be desiring nothing less than a win to end the league campaign. “Even though it’s the last game of the season, for us it’s just another game and we will do our utmost to try to get the three points and end the league on a high.”
The last match between the two ended in a 4 – 0 victory for Birkirkara, with Mgarr United’s coach not giving much away but hinting a desire for a positive response, “Every game gives us a different challenge so there will always be some small changes from game to game. At the same time we come from two very good performances. So, our job is to find the correct balance between playing in the way we played in the last game and trying to counter what Birkirkara will bring to the match.”
The two sides will be taking to the pitch at the Centenary Stadium for their final Assikura Women’s League match for this season at 20:15.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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