by San Gwann and Valletta will be concluding the Assikura Women’s League campaign at Dingli Ground, starting at 16:30. Julian Camilleri is expecting a motivated Valletta side who are seeking to claim second place in the Bottom Four. Valletta’s Jean Lopes underscored the importance of clinical finishing from his team to overcome the Yellows for the first time this season and secure their objective.
Assessing Draws
San Gwann and Valletta head into the final league encounter on the back of draws against Lija Athletic and Mtarfa, respectively.
In discussing the result, Julian Camilleri admitted the team was surprised by the change in system from Lija Athletic. He said, “It’s true I was not expecting them to take to the pitch with that system. However, we adapted quickly to be able to counter it effectively. I think it was a balanced match, but I still feel we could have gotten more points when I consider the number of chances we created.”
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing evening for Valletta as they struggled to convert against Mtarfa, which kicked in jubilation for the Blues in earning their first point, but left the Citizens reeling at the chance to confirm second place ahead of the final match.
Jean Lopes admitted that the result should be a wake up call for his team, “Yes, I believe that what we did was not enough. We had countless clear goal opportunities and we wasted them all and that cannot happen. It is not enough to just play well, we have to play well and win the games.”
Tightly Balanced & Pride At Stake
San Gwann will be taking to the pitch knowing that they are yet to be beaten by the Citizens this year, which puts them in the driving seat. However, as ever Julian Camilleri is expecting Valletta to come out in full force considering the stakes, “It will not be an easy match because we know Valletta and Lija Athletic are still fighting for places. Both of them will want the points. We also incurred some injuries during our match against Lija.”
Despite this, Camilleri continues to push his team toward growth and positive performances, “We will focus on our own match and adapt to any situation that may arise.”
The importance of the fixture was echoed by Jean Lopes, “It’s a decisive match for us, we know that Lija is following us closely and we must face this game against San Gwann with a lot of responsibility and attention.”
The Valletta coach continued to praise the growth of San Gwann, but has continued to maintain faith in his team to rise to the occasion and to secure second place. He finished, “We know it won’t be easy, because this year San Gwann has gotten much stronger, but I believe in my players and I know that if we go in focused, we can achieve victory.”
The match between the two teams will formally conclude the Assikura Women’s League campaign for the 2024/25 season, as they take each other on at 16:30 at Dingli Ground.
The match will follow the other Bottom Four encounter at Dingli, starting at 14:00 between Mtarfa & Lija Athletic. Should Lija Athletic fail to win against Mtarfa, Valletta will mathematically have secured their place in second without having to kick a single ball since they currently lead Lija Athletic by two points.
The Centenary Stadium will be playing host to the final match between Swieqi United and Hibernians at 14:00, which will end with the trophy award for the Owls.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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[…] Four, Mtarfa will be taking on Lija Athletic at the same time at Dingli Ground, to be followed by Valletta against San Gwann (16:30). The results of the two Bottom Four matches will define second and third place for Lija […]