Valletta Extend Cushion With Dominant Win Over Mtarfa

Valletta completed the double over Mtarfa, with an 8-0 victory. Marcelle de Oliveira Julio grabbed four goals. Francesca Bartolo and Laura Muscat got their names on the scoresheet just after the break, while Eduarda Martins Souza chipped in with a brace. Prior to the game Valletta paid tribute to Gaia Antonelli who suffered a major injury earlier in the week.

Team News

Valletta’s Andressa De Souza Ramos retained her place in goal. She was protected by a three-player defence with Sabrin Blihi at its centre, and Michela Bonello Ghio and Megan La Rosa at its width. Captain Monique Sultana started alongside Georgiana Mifsud, while Laura Muscat and Miriana Conti were fielded as wing-backs. Francesca Bartolo and Eduarda Martins Souza were orchestrating attacks in the centre of midfield, while Marcelle de Oliveira Julio was the most advanced attacker.

Prior to the match, the team paid tribute to Gaia Antonelli who suffered what looks to be a major injury in the mid-week U19 match against Hibernians.

Meanwhile, there was a change between the sticks for Mtarfa, with Maria Abdilla starting in the position instead of captain Dorienne Grech. Corine Deguara returned to the starting eleven in the left-back role, while Paula Ciappara started on the right. In between, captain Rebecca Zammit started in a partnership with Shania Spiteri. Eliza Csik protected the defence. In front of her, Alice Ferrari and Oumayma Jelili started in the middle of the park, while Laura Echeverri Tobon and Kerrie Ciappara slotted on the flanks. Estelle Borg was the sole attacker.

Valletta Make Pressure Pay

Valletta started the match on the front foot, with Francesca Bartolo testing Maria Abdilla within the first couple of minutes of the match. Danger loomed for the Blues once more a minute later. Miriana Conti opened wide to Eduarda Martins Souza who drifted to the flank. The Brazilian linked with her compatriot Marcelle de Oliveira Julio. Her cross found Francesca Bartolo, but Shania Spiteri put enough pressure to force her wide with the shot. Laura Muscat was next to try her luck from a tight angle, but the shot kept rising.

City broke the deadlock in the 8th minute. Mtarfa got caught while trying to play out from the back through pressing from Francesca Bartolo. Marcelle de Oliveira Julio drove a low shot into bottom left corner from the edge of the box to open the scoring.

Mtarfa’s Oumayma Jelili did well to win a free-kick in midfield ten minutes into the match to relieve some pressure. However, Valletta were quick to regain possession and flood forward once more.

A quarter of an hour into the match, Georgiana Mifsud made a good run up the field, wriggling past three midfielders. However, her attempt to release Laura Muscat out wide was just overcooked. Francesca Bartolo threatened with a forward run just a few minutes later but Paula Ciappara got enough of a block before Corine Deguara cleared the lines. Ciappara was instrumental to clear a corner kick a couple of moments later.

A rare chance to form an attack developed half-an-hour into the match for the Blues. Laura Echeverri Tobon showed good control before attempting to play Estelle Borg behind, but Sabrin Blihi was aware of the danger.

Having been forming wave after wave of attacks, City doubled their lead 35 minutes into the match. Monique Sultana delivered a free-kick from midfield, which Marcelle de Oliveira Julio flicked over the goalkeeper and into the net.

Valletta had more opportunities to extend their lead and their efforts almost paid dividends just before half-time. Laura Muscat saw an effort clip the crossbar which kept the ball in play. Maria Abdilla was forced to make a stop by Eduarda Martins Souza, before the goalkeeper made two more stops to deny Marcelle de Oliveira Julio her hat-trick twice before the break.

Half-Time Score: Valletta 2 – 0 Mtarfa

Valletta Increase Margin

The team in red came out with the intent to increase their lead. Two minutes in Georgiana Mifsud was picked out on the edge of the area by Monique Sultana. City’s number four played in Marcelle de Oliveira Julio who beat her marker before striking the shot. However, she dragged the effort just wide of the mark.

Francesca Bartolo was next to be released following a combination between Sultana and de Oliveira Julio. However, Bartolo’s left-footed attempt was off-target. Despite missing that chance, she made the next one pay. Laura Muscat did well to find Monique Sultana, who released Bartolo behind the defence. The number twenty-one completed the goal with a low-placed finish at the near post.

Sabrin Blihi almost made it four trying to convert one of Bartolo’s crosses just three minutes later. However, she was denied by Maria Abdilla who made the save. Despite this, Valletta found the fourth just a minute later. Miriana Conti delivered a cross, which Laura Muscat headed goal-ward, capitalising on loose handling from Maria Abdilla.

Denis Guerra looked to his bench following the goal, giving an early rest to Francesca Bartolo, Megan La Rosa and Sabrin Blihi. Ylenia Grech took to the field instead of Bartolo, while the two centre-backs were replaced by Sara Bonello Ghio and Kate Paula Muscat. The change also saw Monique Sultana drop into the centre of the defensive unit, while Michela Bonello Ghio moved into midfield.

Mtarfa were forced into the first change shortly after due to an injury to Laura Echeverri Tobon. The player had to unfortunately be carried out by her teammates. She was replaced by Angele Fenech in a direct swap. Alice Ferrari also departed shortly after, replaced by Elisa Azzopardi.

The substitute Angele Fenech got in on the action immediately. She was picked out by Estelle Borg who displayed good hold-up play before turning and dinking the ball for Fenech to chase on the hour mark. However, Fenech was unable to reach it in time.

Having registered more shots, Valletta made it five into the 66th minute. Eduarda Martins Souza was released behind the line and won the one on one battle with the goalkeeper to drive home with a low finish. City also had a goal chalked off for offside just three minutes later and again on the 70th minute.

At the other end, Mtarfa appeared to be setting themselves for a chance to get themselves on the scoresheet in the 75th minute. Estelle Borg released Angele Fenech with a dinked ball, but the substitute’s poor touch took it away for a goal-kick.

Meanwhile, Valletta kept searching for more. Rebecca Zammit denied Eduarda Martins Souza with an expert tackle in the box, but Valletta recycled the loose ball to Laura Muscat. She saw her shot curl just wide of the mark.

Despite this, Eduarda Martins Souza made it six in the 79th minute after latching onto a ball from Georgiana Mifsud, placing low into the bottom right corner. Marcelle de Oliveira Julio completed the hat-trick three minutes later, creating the space for the shot before driving into the left corner. She finished the rout in the 88th minute by capitalising on a poor clearance, before dribbling past the goalkeeper and placing into the empty goal. Valletta were denied a third goal for offside into the final throes of the match.

Full-Time Score: Valletta 8 – 0 Mtarfa

Next Matches

The win enables Valletta to increase their points tally to 12 and increase the cushion in fifth-place. Mtarfa find themselves still searching for the first point eight games into the season.

Valletta will next have an opportunity to close the gap to the top-four places with a confrontation against Mgarr United on Saturday the 25th November in a 16:30 kick-off at Mgarr Ground. Meanwhile, Mtarfa will brace themselves for the first encounter against the defending champions Birkirkara, since the first round fixture was postponed due to the Stripes’ UEFA Women’s Champions League commitments earlier in the campaign.

However, until then, today offers an exciting double-header at Dingli Ground with San Gwann and Lija Athletic who will be battling for sixth-place (13:00), before the showdown between Hibernians and Mgarr United (15:30).

Lead Image: Valletta FC Women

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