360 Sports Malta Premier:
Gzira United……….0
Naxxar Lions………2
Scorers: Farias (45+5’), Sane (79’)
Naxxar Lions claimed a vital 2-0 victory over Gżira United at the National Stadium, giving their hopes of avoiding automatic relegation a significant boost.
Goals from Edson Farias and Bacary Sane secured all three points for Naxxar, drawing them level on points with Gżira and moving them three clear of Balzan. With one matchday remaining, the pressure now shifts to this weekend’s final fixtures—Naxxar face Balzan while Gżira take on Melita. A draw for the Lions would be enough to avoid direct relegation and send them into a playoff with Melita.
Despite coming into the match on the back of wins over Żabbar St. Patrick and Hibernians, Gżira couldn’t maintain their momentum. They controlled possession for long stretches but lacked cutting edge in the final third.
Naxxar threatened early on when Farias headed narrowly wide in the 11th minute from a Maicon delivery. Gżira’s best first-half chance came just before the break, when Thiago Espindola’s free-kick forced a smart save from Matthias Debono. However, it was Naxxar who struck first—deep into stoppage time—with Farias unleashing a thunderous free-kick from distance that flew past Giulio Mangano.
After the restart, Jackson Mendoza and Espindola were both denied by Debono, while at the other end, Bolanos fired over after being sent through by Farias.
Gżira came close to an equaliser through substitute Kevin Tulimieri, whose effort brushed past the post. On 72 minutes, Bacary Sane came up big for Naxxar, clearing off the line following a dangerous corner.
Sane then turned scorer in the 79th minute, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box after a Takuma Yamaguchi free-kick, slotting home Naxxar’s second goal.
Tulimieri nearly pulled one back five minutes from time with a rising effort that flew just over. Unfortunately for Naxxar, Sane suffered an injury late in the game and was taken to hospital, causing a delay in play. When the match resumed, substitute Tara Ndao had a chance to make it 3-0, but fired wide in added time.
