UEFA UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP 2025
LEAGUE B – GROUP 5
13.04.25
Centenary Stadium, Ta’ Qali, Malta
LUXEMBOURG U17…2
MALTA U17….1
(HT 1-1)
17’ Abo Assaf (MLT), 45’ Dardari (LUX), 85’ Sousa (LUX).
Earlier today, the Malta Under-17 team battled hard to go down eventually by the odd goal in three after a balanced encounter which could have gone either way. The Luxembourgish visitors proved to be more clinical up front with Malta missing some clear-cut chances which proved to be fatal. The game was a joy to watch with both sides playing full on attack, with the match-winner of the visitors being scored five minutes from time.
Coach Francesco Macri made two changes specially in defence as Drew Miceli and Ben Gaerty, who already played a half against the Bulgarians, were preferred instead of Valletta duo Emerson Mejlak and Keerin Formosa. Chesterfield striker Gunner Elliot started again on the bench but was included in the second half. Palermo based Andreas Vella was again chosen in the starting line-up with Jack Camilleri captaining the side.
Opponents Luxembourg, who started with a goalless draw against the Faroe Islands last Thursday and kept Austria on a 1-1 draw but lost to 3-0 to Denmark in their first round qualifiers, started with four of their seven foreign based players. Two of these are with neighbouring FC Metz in France (Edson Lima and Jess Gomes Rodrigues), while offensive players Bilal Dardari (Schalke ’04) and Diogo Dos Santos Pereira (Darmstadt) are under contract with German clubs. Genoa based left back Rodrigo Delgado, Alexandre Tavares of FSV Mainz and Vitoria Guimaraes striker Kevin Fernandes all started on the bench but each one made a second half entry.
Malta opened the scoring on 17 minutes after both sides deployed cautious opening tactics, with centre-back Sami Abo Assaf heading past Luxembourg goalkeeper Nayan Campos from a corner by Daniel Pawley.
Malta took control of the match and on 23 minutes, right back Drew Miceli crossed into the box but there was no-one on hand to round off the danger. On 36 minutes, Matteo-Paolo Grech lashed on to a bad back-pass but concluded with a weak shot which was fisted away by Campos.
On 42 minutes, Luxembourg captain Lohan Monteiro Ruiz was close to the equaliser after a neat attack on the right flank but the defender saw his grounder going wide, in what was the first decent attack by the visitors. On the stroke of half-time however, the Luxembourgers progressed once more down the right flank, with the ball being crossed to Dardari, who intelligently moved aside his direct marker, slotting home from the edge of the box.
The encounter remained balanced after the break, with both sides showing their attacking intensions. The best chance for Malta arrived just after the hour with substitute Gunner Elliot being sent in the clear but Campos did well to block his attempt with Scott Camilleri aiming his rebound too high. Barely four minutes later, Miceli did well to progress down the right flank, cutting back excellently to Camilleri who however blasted high once more. Two giant opportunities to re-take the lead.
The inclusion of the physical strong Elliott up front proved, once more, to be a good move however, with the Chesterfield centre-forward forcing out a few corners. On the other side, Ruben Sousa’s curving left-footer on 80 minutes sailed inches wide, concluding another Luxembourg attack who pushed for the winner, which arrived on 85 minutes when a cross from the left flank was missed by everyone except Sousa who had the easiest of tasks to kick his side 2-1 in front.
Malta rallied forward in the final minutes but failed to find the net with Luxembourg winning the tight contest.
This afternoon, Bulgaria will meet the Faroe Islands at the same venue, kick off 14:30hrs, who will try to give their winning start a continuation. Malta will be back in action on Wednesday morning against the Faroe Islands, also at the Centenary Stadium with the same kick-off time as today, 11:00hrs.
Luxembourg
Nayan Campos, Lohan Monteiro Ruiz, Edson Lima (Alexandre Tavares 63’), Mylan Oger, Mika Da Luz Garcia (Rodrigo Delgado 72’), Ruben Sousa, Bilal Dardari, Roger Motingea Sweli (Dinis Jordao Machado 82’), Diogo Dos Santos Pereira, Jona Polfer (Gabriel Martins Matysik 82’), Jess Gomes Rodrigues (Kevin Fernandes 63’).
Coach: Karim Bisbis
Malta
Adam Newell, Drew Miceli, Ben Gaerty, Andreas Vella, Sami Abo Assaf, Liam James, Daniel Pawley (Matteas Caruana 82’), Jack Camilleri, Zyad Vella-Newell, Scott Camilleri (Jaylen Zarb 76’), Matteo-Paolo Grech (Gunner Elliott 46’).
Coach: Francesco Macri
Referee
Aaron Wyn Jones (Wales)
