FIRST GAME, FIRST GOAL, AND FIRST THREE POINTS FOR MALTA WNT IN THE UEFA WOMEN’S NATIONS LEAGUE
Latvia 0 – 1 Malta
In a thrilling encounter in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, Malta Women’s National Team (WNT) secured their first victory, first goal, and first three points of the campaign as they triumphed over Latvia with a final score of 1-0. This historic win marked a significant milestone in the team’s journey in League C Group 1.
The match got off to an intense start, with Malta making an early statement. Just three minutes into the game, they were awarded a free-kick after a foul committed by Latvia’s Flakse, who received an early yellow card for her actions. Unfortunately, Cuschieri’s attempt at goal went wide. The Maltese side continued to press, with Zammit taking a shot from outside the box, which was deflected off target.
Latvia had their first scoring opportunity in the 10th minute when Miksone managed to find her way into Malta’s box. Still, Zaičikova’s first-time shot was brilliantly saved by Malta’s goalkeeper, Xuereb, demonstrating her skills early in the match.
Despite controlling most of the possession in the first quarter of the first half, the Maltese players struggled to break through Latvia’s defense. On the 21st minute, a Said free-kick created chaos in Latvia’s box, but Bugeja’s shot failed to trouble goalkeeper Vaivode. A minute later, Bugeja passed to an unmarked Giusti, who was late on the ball, allowing the goalkeeper to make an easy save.
The 35th minute saw a brilliant run by Bugeja, whose shot from outside the box forced a corner. Latvia managed to get two shots on target on the 37th minute, with Zaičikova shooting wide and Xuereb saving a powerful shot from Miksone a minute later. Latvia continued to put pressure on Malta’s defensive half. A free-kick taken by Ročāne found Zaičikova in the box, but Xuereb saved it in two attempts.
The last chance before half-time was once again with Zaičikova, but her strong shot ended just wide, leaving the home crowd frustrated.
The second half began with Latvia on the offensive, but Zaičikova’s efforts once again went high. Malta had a golden opportunity in the 52nd minute when Bugeja’s low pass found Sciberras, but her shot was cleared for a corner. A minute later, Bugeja’s cross found Giusti unmarked, but her effort went wide.
Latvia responded with another run by Zaičikova, but her shot missed the target. Latvia’s best chance came in the 57th minute when Sečova’s powerful shot from inside the box struck the crossbar and was subsequently cleared by the resilient Malta defence.
In the 58th minute, Head Coach Tesse made a double substitution, bringing on Borg and Ayres to replace Zammit and Giusti, injecting fresh energy into the team.
Malta had a few more opportunities, with Cuschieri finding Bugeja, but her effort from inside the box missed the mark.
Then, in the 82nd minute, the crucial moment arrived. A cross-shot by Said was deflected into a corner by the Latvian keeper. From the subsequent corner, the Latvian defenders failed to clear the ball. Cuschieri pounced on the loose ball and passed it to Bugeja, who seized the opportunity and punished the onrushing Latvian keeper with a low shot that found the back of the net.
The final whistle blew with the scoreboard reading Latvia 0, Malta 1, marking a historic moment for Malta WNT as they celebrated their first win in the UEFA Women’s Nations League.
This victory not only secured three valuable points but also boosted the team’s confidence and set the stage for an exciting journey ahead in the competition.
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