Malta Crush Slovakia 20–11 to Move Within Reach of 13th Place in Belgrade

The Malta national waterpolo team delivered a commanding display in Belgrade as they overpowered Slovakia 20–11, taking a major step toward securing 13th place at the European Championship finals. The emphatic victory came at a crucial moment, arriving less than 24 hours after reports emerged that several Maltese players were under investigation for allegedly placing bets on the goal difference of their opening match against Montenegro.

Rather than allowing the controversy to derail them, Milan Cirovic’s men responded with their strongest performance of the tournament. Captain Stevie Camilleri led by example with six goals, while Alec Fenech struck five and Liam Galea added four. Elijah Schembri netted twice, with Nikolai Zammit, Ivan Nagaev and Ben Plumpton also on target.

After an early Slovak surge, Malta fought back to level the opening session at 4–4 before taking full control in the second, surging to an 11–8 halftime lead. Their defensive discipline tightened as the match progressed, while quick transitions and clinical finishing widened the gap.

By the final session, Malta were in complete command, stretching their advantage to double digits. A win over Slovenia on Sunday will now secure a well‑deserved 13th‑place finish.

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