by Switzerland’s pedigree ultimately proved decisive as the EURO quarter-finalists defeated Malta by 4–1 at the Centenary Stadium. Early goals from Iman Beney and Alisha Lehmann put the visitors in control before Maria Farrugia produced a stunning finish to briefly ignite hopes for the hosts. Despite a spirited defensive display from Malta, Switzerland restored control through Svenja Folmli and Aurelie Csillag, while Malta still threatened through Haley Bugeja and Farrugia late on.
Team Selections
Giulia D’Antuono retained Manuela Tesse’s faith in goal. Maya Lucia started at right-back, with Stephania Farrugia, captain Emma Lipman and Jade Flask completing the defence. Emma Flannery made a starting debut partnering Brenda Borg in midfield. Leah Ayres and Maria Farrugia started out wide, with Lexine Farrugia and Haley Bugeja supporting in attack.
Livia Peng started in goal for Switzerland. Noelle Maritz partnered Viola Calligaris in defence, with Leila Wandeler and Nadine Riesen operating as full-backs. Captain Lia Walti anchored the midfield, with Gerlandine Reuteler and Syndney Schertenleib pulling the strings in midfield. Alisha Lehmann and Iman Beney started out wide, with Svenja Folmli leading the attack.
How It Unfolded
Quick Start For The Visitors
The visitors asserted themselves early, moving the ball sharply through short combinations in the attacking third — a reflection of coach Rafel Navarro’s possession-focused approach.
The first warning arrived in the 6th minute when Alisha Lehmann was released on the counter, but Giulia D’Antuono gathered comfortably. Moments later Stephania Farrugia produced a crucial interception to deny Geraldine Reuteler’s dangerous run from the right.
Switzerland broke through in the 8th minute. After quick exchanges inside the box carved open a crowded Maltese defence, Iman Beney fired first time into the bottom-right corner to give the visitors the lead.
The second arrived almost immediately. In the 10th minute Lehmann capitalised on another opening, delicately dinking the ball into the bottom-left corner to double Switzerland’s advantage.
Despite the early setback, Malta showed resilience. Emma Flannery impressed on her starting debut while the defensive unit remained committed in challenges and clearances. Malta registered their first efforts shortly after through Maria Farrugia and Brenda Borg, though neither could find the target.
Farrugia Sparks The Crowd
The home side found a moment of inspiration in the 16th minute.
A long diagonal from Stephania Farrugia released Maria Farrugia, who controlled past Leila Wandeler before producing a cross-shot finish into the far corner. The strike ignited the Centenary crowd as the defiant team celebrated in front of the stands, with visitors unsettled.
Buoyed by the goal, Malta pushed forward with renewed belief. Maya Lucia & Jade Flask were kept busy by the visitors as the side attempted to utilise wide areas to get balls in the box. Whatever the duo didn’t manage to block, defensive interventions from Emma Lipman and Stephania Farrugia continued to frustrate Switzerland in the box, while D’Antuono remained busy in goal.
Malta nearly equalised in the 29th minute following a sustained attack. Haley Bugeja struck the first effort, forcing a block inside the box before Leah Ayres reacted quickly to the rebound, sending her attempt goalward and earning a corner. Malta committed numbers forward for the set piece, but after Lexine Farrugia’s delivery was recycled into the area, Maria Farrugia could not quite connect cleanly with the second ball.
Swiss Regain Control
Switzerland gradually regained composure, continuing to dominate possession and build patiently around Malta’s low block.
Giulia D’Antuono produced another impressive stop to deny Beney before the visitors restored their two-goal cushion in the 39th minute. Svenja Folmli timed her run perfectly to beat the defensive line and place the ball calmly into the net.
Further pressure followed before the break, including a clever free-kick routine involving Lia Walti and Sydney Schertenleib that D’Antuono read well.
Half-Time Score: Malta 1 – 3 Switzerland
Malta Defend Deep as Switzerland Probe
Switzerland resumed the second half aggressively. Beney immediately threatened again before Aurelie Csillag struck the post after Malta briefly lost control inside the box.
Referee Jelena Medjedovic was drawn into the action during several physical exchanges, waving away Swiss appeals for a penalty before booking Csillag for dissent as frustration began to show among the visitors.
Malta continued defending with determination, often packing the penalty area with numbers while attempting to spring forward through Haley Bugeja or Maria Farrugia on the counter.
Manuela Tesse introduced Shona Zammit in the 58th minute, replacing Emma Flannery, while Switzerland’s Rafel Navarro responded with a double substitution in the 62nd minute as Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Riola Xhemaili replaced Wandeler and Lehmann.
A forced change followed for Malta when Yulya Carella replaced Maya Lucia in the 71st minute, before further fresh legs arrived in the 78th minute with Jana Barbara and Kailey Willis replacing Lexine Farrugia and Leah Ayres.
Late Goal Settles the Contest
Despite Malta’s determined defending, Switzerland eventually found a fourth goal in the 73rd minute. A long ball released Aurelie Csillag behind the defence, and the forward finished confidently into the far corner.
Additional substitutions saw Leela Egli replace Beney in the 86th minute, but the tempo of the match eased as Switzerland managed their advantage.
Though few and far in between, Malta still looked for moments on the break in the closing stages. Haley Bugeja continued to carry the attacking threat, while in the final minute Maria Farrugia produced a determined run down the flank, shrugging off the challenge of the towering Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic before delivering into the box. The cross found Bugeja arriving inside the area, but her left-footed strike was blocked by the Swiss defence, denying Malta a late opportunity to close the gap in the score.
Final Score: Malta 1 – 4 Switzerland
Standings & Next Matches
Switzerland walk away with maximum points in the opening two matches, as do Turkey following the latter’s 1 – 0 win over Northern Ireland.
The next round will be played in April as Malta face Northern Ireland twice, on the 14th and 18th. Both teams will be itching for points to fight for third place. Turkey and Switzerland will battle it out between them on the same days to determine first place.
Until then, players return to domestic competitions. The Assikura Women’s League returns on Friday 13th, as Valletta host Hibernians and the Charles Abela Stadium (20:30). Champions Mgarr United will meet San Gwann at the same ground on Saturday (18:00), while Swieqi United face Birkirkara at Dingli Ground at the same time.
Lead Image: Brandon Bonett.
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