360Sports Malta Premier Bottom 6 – MD28
Gżira United……………0
Balzan…………………….0
Gżira United and Balzan were forced to settle for a point apiece after a tightly contested 0-0 draw in the Bottom Six round of the Malta Premier League. The match was evenly balanced across the ninety minutes, with both sides creating opportunities but ultimately lacking the clinical edge to break the deadlock.
Gżira carved out the first real chance of the encounter in the 9th minute. Thaylor Aldama floated a precise cross into the box, finding De Oliveira unmarked in front of goal. However, Balzan goalkeeper Danilo Golovic was alert and made a crucial stop to deny the forward and keep the score level.
Jan Busuttil tried his luck from distance in the 36th minute, but his speculative effort sailed over the bar without troubling Giulio Mangano in the Gżira goal.
Five minutes into the second half, Gżira came close again. A misplaced pass from Nicholas Pulis in midfield was swiftly intercepted by Aldama, who immediately fed Chouaib in the area. The striker’s low-driven shot beat the keeper but drifted just wide of the post.
In the 57th minute, Balzan’s Mentz Bohrer tested Mangano with a powerful strike from range, but the ball flew narrowly over.
Another chance fell to Gżira in the 67th minute when Jan Busuttil’s well-placed effort was handled calmly by Mangano. Moments later, in the 72nd minute, a curling free-kick from substitute Llorens Blasco skimmed past the upright.
In stoppage time, Gżira had one final opportunity to snatch all three points. The ever-involved Aldama found himself in space in front of goal, but he couldn’t apply the finishing touch under pressure from Golovic.
Referee: Alex Johnson
Player of the Match: Thaylor Aldama (Gżira United)
Line-ups:
Gżira United:
Giulio Mangano, Mentz Bohrer (C), Enrico Pepe, Andrew Borg (Luis Riascos), Thaylor Aldama, Faysal Chouaib, Macula (Kevin Tulimieri), Montell Shaquill, Diogo Barbosa (Brooklyn Borg), Kurt Zammit, Thiago Espindola (Joseph Minala).
Balzan:
Danilo Golovic, Nemanja Kerkez, Marcus Grima, Nicholas Pulis, Jan Busuttil (C), Benjamin Hili (Rafael Da Silva), Dimeji Awosanja, Henri Stanic, Enzo Ndombasi (Llorens Blasco), Alexander Akpan (Isaac Westendorf), Elvis Kamsoba.
