Malta take on Georgia this evening at the Centenary Stadium in their second match in a row, hoping to build on last week’s away win and keep their chances of promotion and a top finish in Group C2 of the UEFA Women’s Nations League alive.
Last Friday in Tbilisi, Malta had a strong first half, with Maria Farrugia scoring twice and Haley Bugeja adding another goal. Although Georgia pulled one back after a defensive slip and scored a penalty in stoppage time, Malta held on to win.
Coach Manuela Tesse expects a tough match tonight, highlighting the threat of Georgia’s forward Teona Bakradze. However, she believes that playing at home will give Malta an important advantage.
“Playing at home always helps because the fans’ support gives us a real boost,” said the Italian coach.
There are a couple of changes to the squad: captain Emma Lipman is suspended after picking up a second yellow card in the tournament, but Charlene Zammit is back after serving her own suspension and missing the last match.
Malta currently have six points, just one behind group leaders Cyprus, who drew at home with Andorra. With three games left to play, Malta are aiming to keep the momentum going and match the success of the first Nations League campaign.
Tonight’s match kicks off at 19:00 at the Centenary Stadium and will be shown live on TVMSport+. Tickets are also available, with the home crowd expected to play an important part in pushing the team closer to the top of the table.
