by Mtarfa will be taking on Valletta at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30 this evening for the penultimate league match of the season. Simon Spiteri & Jean Lopes discussed their recent results and laid the expectations for tonight’s match amid suspensions and increasing competition.
Performances & Results Amid
Mtarfa and Valletta will meet for the final time in the Assikura Women’s League this season, with the Citizens having a spotless record.
Mtarfa could replicate their attacking momentum against San Gwann, ultimately falling to a 2 – 0 defeat. Simon Spiteri discussed the performance in view of the enforced changes the team had to make because of suspensions handed to defensive duo Angele Fenech and Rebecca Zammit by the Malta Football Association.
Mtarfa’s coach said, “The enforcement of the Malta Football Association’s (MFA) medical certificate verification rule at the end of the season resulted in the suspension of two of our players. Despite having their medical certificates in order, an issue with the COMET application prevented verification, making them ineligible to play.”
He continued, “As a result, we were forced to make last-minute changes to our defensive line. Undoubtedly, Shania Spiteri, who stepped in as a central defender, delivered a strong performance. However, her absence from the forward line disrupted our attacking balance, limiting our offensive play. The team, already facing this setback, went into the crucial match against San Gwann with low morale, further affecting our performance.”
On the other hand, Valletta managed to secure a 2 – 0 victory against Lija Athletic to reclaim second place. Jean Lopes was probed about his thoughts on the response his team showed to persevere for a victory and to limit Lija Athletic to little chances.
“I was very happy with the team’s evolution. In fact, we had already been evolving in terms of ball possession and chances created in the previous games, but we were unable to finish the opportunities created. In this game against Lija, we managed to maintain a good tactical standard, intensity and to score the goals that were missing.”
In fact, considering the ability to create more through more patient possession, the Brazilian was questioned on the decision to go more direct at times during the season. Jean Lopes weighed in, “This season was a season of a lot of learning and adaptation. Basically, we had to restructure ourselves during the championship and due to the changes in players, changes in tactical formation, we tried to adapt to the moment and avoid unnecessary risks.”
He continued, “However, now we have had more time to work and we can already see, even if small, some evolution in terms of bringing back some of our main characteristics, which is ball possession and also bringing back confidence to the athletes.”
Will It Be As Close?
The last encounter between the two was hotly contested and brought plenty of goalscoring action. Valletta just edged out the victory by 3 – 2. Mtarfa have since struggled to recapture their goalscoring form, with Simon Spiteri laying out the expectations for tonight’s match, “Our next match against Valletta will be a tough challenge. Valletta have regained key players and shown significant improvement, securing a win over Lija and suffering only a narrow defeat against San Gwann. Given these factors, we enter the match as underdogs.”
He added, “Furthermore, with several of our first-team players also featuring for Zero Sei Futsal on Wednesday (in the semi-final of the Enemed Women’s Futsal League), we hope to avoid injuries and excessive fatigue in preparation for this important fixture. Maintaining focus and fitness will be crucial as we strive to overcome these challenges and deliver a strong performance.”
Tonight will present an opportunity for Valletta to maintain their noses in front of Lija Athletic, and potentially confirm their place should the latter falter against San Gwann.
Valletta’s coach, Jean Lopes, was questioned on whether at this stage he prioritises getting the result over the football philosophy. He replied, “Mtarfa has clearly evolved during the championship, so it is of utmost importance that we can approach this game again seriously. Obviously we always want to play well and win games, but we know that each game is different. So, let’s go for the win first and hopefully we can have a good performance too.”
The two teams will take to the pitch at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30. The other Bottom Four encounter between Lija Athletic & San Gwann will be played at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15.
Lead Images: Elise Bajada / Lara Schembri
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