Malta suffered a 3–0 defeat in the second of two international friendly matches at home to Croatia on Monday evening.
With the match carrying no weight in terms of FIFA rankings, coach Manuela Tesse used the occasion to experiment both tactically and in terms of personnel. Maya Cachia of Hibernians started in goal in place of Mġarr United’s Giulia D’Antuono. At the back, Oceane Grange of Belgian side Essevee Women joined captain Emma Lipman of Genoa Women and Birkirkara defender Stephania Farrugia in a back three, as Malta moved away from their usual 4-2-3-1 system to line up in a 3-4-1-2 shape.
The match was off to a tense start, with both sides struggling to take control or enjoy prolonged periods of possession.
Croatia had the first real opportunity of the match when Ivana Rudelić received the ball inside the penalty area, but her effort was smartly stopped by Cachia, who parried the attempt away from danger.
Malta looked to respond and in the 12th minute registered their first shot on target, as Rachel Cuschieri tried her luck from long range, only for her strike to be saved by Doris Bačić.
Cachia was called into action again a minute later when Karla Kurkutović made a darting run down the right wing before shooting at the near post. The Maltese goalkeeper managed to tip the ball away, and the defence cleared from the line.
The Hibernians goalkeeper produced another excellent stop in the 23rd minute, when Rudelić met a loose ball on the half volley, but her powerful strike was parried before Cachia gathered at the second attempt.
In the 36th minute, Malta worked the ball well through midfield, finding Maria Farrugia, who dribbled past a couple of Croatian defenders before slipping the ball to Cuschieri. Her left-footed shot, however, was again blocked by Bačić.
Croatia broke the deadlock in the 41st minute. A cross from the right was met by Maja Joščak, who powered a header beyond Cachia to give the visitors the advantage before the break.
Just minutes after the restart, Croatia doubled their lead. They capitalised on a loose pass in midfield, quickly finding Rudelić, who ran through on goal and sent Cachia the wrong way before placing the ball into the net.
As the half wore on, the encounter developed into more of a midfield battle, with neither side able to put together long spells of possession, although Croatia continued to look the more threatening in transition.
Croatia extended their lead in the 75th minute, when a cross from the left was met by Kurkutović, who arrived from the back post to finish off the move and make it three.
Malta continued to push forward in search of a way back into the match, but Croatia remained compact and organised, protecting their penalty area well.
Midway through the half, Tesse refreshed her side. Patricia Ebejer replaced Cachia in goal, Maya Lucia bolstered the defensive line, and Mġarr forward Brenda Borg made her long-awaited return after her cruciate injury, marking her 80th appearance for Malta.
The encounter ended 3–0 in favour of the visitors, rounding off a testing but ultimately fruitful international window for Manuela Tesse’s side, who combined a notable 3–2 victory in the first meeting with valuable tactical work and the chance to assess different options ahead of their next assignments.
Although the result was a setback, the window offered meaningful value for Malta. Tesse was able to assess alternative systems, rotate her squad and reintegrate key players ahead of an important year to come.
Malta will return to action in February when they open their qualifying campaign for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
