Tarxien Rainbows….0
Marsaxlokk……………0
(Tarxien win 5-4 on penalties)
Tarxien Rainbows produced the shock of the Jubilee Cup quarter finals as they knocked out Marsaxlokk on penalties and secured a semi-final clash with Valletta on Wednesday.
Jacques Scerri’s side went into the tie as clear outsiders, rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with only six points to their name. Marsaxlokk, pushing in the top six, were widely tipped to reach the last four, but Tarxien tore up the script with a disciplined and resilient display.
Both teams fielded strong elevens, making full use of the five-foreigner rule on the pitch, underlining how seriously they were treating this competition.
Marsaxlokk showed their attacking intent inside the opening minute when José Arias bent an effort just wide of the target. The Southseasiders started on the front foot, yet Tarxien gradually settled and began to grow into the game.
The early stages already brought controversy. Tarxien used their first Football Video Support (FVS) challenge after Jake Ghio clipped Sheldon Mizzi. Referee Slobodan Petrovic booked the Marsaxlokk defender and, following a brief check on the monitor, stood by his initial yellow card. Tarxien were therefore left with only one challenge after ten minutes.
Marsaxlokk captain Nikolai Muscat was then denied by goalkeeper Miguel Spiteri, before Tarxien threatened through Wallisson. The Brazilian forward saw his towering header from a James cross pushed away by Pablo Sanchez, and later tried his luck from distance, only to fire over.
At the other end, Leandro Aguirre skimmed the outside of the upright with one of his trademark free kicks and later curled another attempt narrowly wide as Marsaxlokk kept probing. Arias also shot off target just before the break, with the match still goalless.
Soon after the restart, Marsaxlokk resorted to their first FVS challenge following a suspected act of retaliation, but Petrovic dismissed their appeal.
Chances arrived for both sides. Fred forced a corner with a deflected strike, while Barros was denied from close range by the excellent Spiteri.
Marsaxlokk believed they had finally broken the deadlock on 66 minutes when Barros finished from close range. Tarxien immediately appealed through FVS, and replays showed Arias had fouled Mizzi in the build-up. The goal was ruled out, much to the frustration of the Marsaxlokk camp.
Tarxien replied with a dangerous free kick that Sanchez turned behind, before Arias again went close with a first-time shot that brushed past the post and deceived some supporters into thinking it had gone in.
As the clock ticked down, both coaches introduced players with spot kicks in mind. Inevitably, the tie went to penalties, where Tarxien were perfect from twelve yards.
Marsaxlokk’s only blemish came from Aguirre, who failed to convert his kick, while the Rainbows kept their nerve to score all five. De Barros netted the decisive penalty to send Tarxien through, completing one of the standout upsets of this season’s competition.
Penalty sequence: Portelli goal 1-0 (M); De Oliveira goal 1-1 (T); Aguirre miss 1-1 (M); Tavares goal 1-2 (T); Muscat goal 2-2 (M); Santos goal 2-3 (T); Dodo goal 3-3 (M); Grima goal 3-4 (T); Fred goal 4-4 (M); De Barros goal 4-5 (T).
Referee: Slobodan Petrovic.
