by Italy and Malta will be meeting for a friendly tonight at the home of Roma, the Tre Fontane Stadium, at 18:15. Andrea Soncin underlined the reasons for choosing to face Malta in this friendly, while Manuela Tesse is gearing the team to continue building on the positive performance shown against Portugal. Haley Bugeja spoke about facing Italian colleagues with the Maltese shirt for the first time, while Valentina Giacinti and Shona Zammit underlined the growth of the sides since the two nations last met.
Rare Non-Competitive Window
The two teams are entertaining a non-competitive international window for the first time since February, giving the two sides the opportunity to select their opponents. The decision for this match-up makes for what has become more of a rare occurrence with the introduction of the UEFA Women’s Nations League, as the two nations with different ranking come to heads. Italy go into it ranked 14th in the world, while Malta are currently placed 87th.
Despite what the rankings suggest, Italy’s Andrea Soncin confirmed that this is a friendly that the side has picked with purpose, “This is a match that we wanted and searched for. It is true that Malta has a different ranking but we have analysed all their matches and this is a team with very important values and one that is very organised. It’s an important match for us, one that we must face with the right spirit and mentality.”
Meanwhile, Soncin also addressed the context of playing the match in Italy as opposed to travelling to Malta. He said, “We wanted to face Malta in Italy because we wanted to bring the Azzurre shirt around in Italy.” The Italian side will play the match in Rome, before travelling to Vicenza to meet world champions, Spain, on Tuesday.
Malta’s coach Manuela Tesse is eyeing the battle against her nation with usual vigour and is keen to build on the positive strides made against Portugal, who were not far off from Italy’s ranking, at 21st in the world.
Tesse summed up the approach to the match , “We want to build on the match against Portugal, where we still played with our philosophy despite their strength. So, our aim will remain to play and not just defend against these teams.”
The Italian will be leading Malta against her own country for the first time. Asked about whether this stirs up any different emotions she replied, “No, I was an assistant coach in Italy’s senior national team, but now I am very focused on Malta. Now I don’t feel emotion, it’s true I know many of the Italian players, but I’m focused on my players. I believe that this is a very good opportunity for them to show what they’ve built in these eighteen months, the football they play and maybe earn the opportunity to play it at high level in Italy or elsewhere.”
Among the players who have already made made the leap is Haley Bugeja, who started with Sassuolo and now dons the shirt of Inter Milan. She is one player who although has never faced Italy’s contingent with the Maltese shirt, is very familiar with the opponents she’ll be facing.
Probed about meeting Italy for the first time at international level, Haley Bugeja replied, “In truth it’s a strange game for me because I’ve played with a few of them and the majority I played against them at club level. However, I’m very excited, yes there’s a discrepancy in ranking but we’ve prepared well and they will meet a tough Malta. We are looking forward to leaving everything out there on the pitch.”
Meanwhile, calls for more careful considerations on the amount of fixtures continue to grow in both the female and male football sectors. Questioned about the feeling of playing just one match, albeit among the highest of intensity matches, and in a friendly setting, Haley Bugeja replied, “I think facing a team of Italy’s calibre will always push us to go into it with a certain focus and determination, irrespective of the match being a friendly.”
Taking a global viewpoint, the forward continued, “It’s true that the fixture list is quite demanding, but speaking for myself I think taking care of yourself is important to be ready. Looking at the Italian team, they have players who are playing the league and also the Champions League within the same week, so even they might be a bit fatigued. So, maybe that will play a bit in our favour maybe for the match as well.”
History Between The Two & Match Expectations
Malta and Italy faced each other twice in 2019, with Italy emerging victorious by 5 – 0 and 2 – 0. Having formed part of the group facing Malta at the Centenary Stadium, Valentina Giacinti is expecting a different battle this time out. She said, “I think it will be a different match because women’s football has grown a lot. Malta as a team is also much more organised today in their football, so we are happy to play this match.”
Likewise, Shona Zammit is among those players who was competing with Malta’s shirt for both previous occasions. The midfielder echoed Giacinti’s sentiment, “I think our game has matured a lot. As Malta our style of play has completely changed, we are no longer simply focusing on limiting damage, but are going into matches with the attitude of hurting our opponents as well. Italy is certainly very strong, but each game has its own story. We focus on our performance and look forward to replicate the positive strides made against Portugal.”
Comparing the differences between the two European powerhouses in view of facing Italy tonight, Zammit offered some insight into the differences, “Portugal are strong in finding spaces, whereas I think Italy are more tactical in their approach, so it’s a different game for us to face but one we are looking forward to.”
Having recently taken the captain’s role at Swieqi United, paired with a much younger group in this international window and the experience of facing Italy before, Zammit is among those with more experience in the group. The midfielder appears to be relishing this responsibility heading into this one, “I always say pressure is a privilege. Playing with the national team is something I also aspire to and it always makes me proud to wear the shirt. Although the league in Malta is not professional, those of us playing in it balance things and push ourselves to play these types of matches. So, certainly we’ll be leaving it all out on the pitch.”
The two teams will be taking to the pitch in the home of Roma, the Tre Fontane Stadium, at 18:15. The match will be broadcast on RAI Sport and TVM Sport+.
Lead Images: FIGC / Elise Bajada / Lara Schembri
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