Creditable results for Maltese teams in UEFA Conference League

UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND 1^ST LEGS

19.7.2022
Hibernians 3-2 Levadia
Last Tuesday, Maltese champions Hibernians experienced a night of mixed emotions. Somehow, the team of new coach Andrea Pisanu could not built further on an excellent first half. The 2-0 half-time score was not a fair reflection of strength as, looking at the wasted chances, the Paolites could have easily scored five. The moderate Estonians of Levadia staged a late comeback and, despite the fact that Hibernians won the match, it is still all to play for next week in Tallinn. Compared with Hibernians’ last outing against Shamrock Rovers, Pisanu made one change as Ferdinando Apap returned from suspension with Ayrton Attard starting on the bench, coming in as a late substitute. On eight minutes, the lively Jake Grech tried his luck from just outside the box but the ball sailed wide. Hibernians took the lead on 17 minutes when Apap’s close-range header had the best of Levadia goalkeeper Karl Vallner from an inch perfect Dunstan Vella cross. On 23 minutes, Hibernians doubled. Vella’s shot ended up against the post, in the path of Terrence Groothusen who headed to Jurgen Degabriele, beating Vallner for a second time. The Estonian champions, with ex-Birkirkara and Gzira Brazilian striker Liliu in their ranks, had simply no reaction while Hibernians could have easily added a few more before the half-time whistle. On the half hour mark, Degabriele returned the favor to Groothusen, who however missed target from an ideal position. Six minutes later, a Gabriel Izquier grounder from the edge of the box just missed target while on 38 minutes, a powerful solo effort from Apap was turned into a corner by Vallner. The visitors saw definitely more of the ball after the break and close to the hour mark, an attempt by Rasmus Peetson sailed high over the bar from a corner action. Hibernians failed to find their rhythm with a low ball circulation. On 61 minutes, hard-working midfielder Ali Diakite’s header from a Degabriele corner was saved well by Vallner. Not much later, Levadia had two well-taken shots at goal by Ernest Agyiri and Zakaria Begiarshvili but both attempts failed to find target. In the 86^th minute, Levadia finally pulled one back thanks to Maximiliano Ugge, who headed past Kone from a corner action. On the stroke of full-time, Hibernians’ new recruit Yunusa Muritala, who entered as a substitute, restored the two-goal deficit after an individual action in the box, fumbling the ball behind Vallner from close-range. However, deep into stoppage time, Levadia reduced the deficit once more thanks to Agyiri, who blasted the ball home after the Hibernians defence failed to clear the danger from a goalmouth action. A huge blow for the home-side, who now travel to Estonia knowing Levadia’s moral is sky high, going all out for a win to secure a Third Qualifying Round spot in this season’s UEFA Conference League. The match next Thursday at the Lilleküla Stadium will kick off at 19h.

21.7.2022
Gzira United 2-2 Radnicki Nis
Not for the first time in European Cup football, Gzira United rose to the occasion by obtaining a creditable draw against a more quoted opponent. Despite the visitors’ strength, the Maroons gave Serbian Superliga outfit Radnicki Nis more than a match, with the visitor’s equaliser arriving deep into stoppage time. Mastermind coach Darren Abdilla, once more, developed a realistic tactical plan, with captain Nikolai Muscat and winger Marcelo Dias playing a blinder. Brazilian striker and Malta Premier League Top Scorer Maxuell Samurai scored two second half goals, one from a penalty, and proved to be, along with Jefferson, a constant headache for the Serbian rear-guard. But the whole team needs to be complimented for their never-say-die attitude on another hot but memorable European Cup night.  On 28 minutes, two minutes after a shot by Gzira’s Ricardo Correa sailed high over the bar, the Serbs took the lead. Lazar Arsic released Lazar Jovanovic on the right, who’s cross was perfectly met by Nikola Stulic, beating Gzira goalkeeper Darijan Radelic-Zarkov from close-range, a great goal. It was however, practically, Radnicki’s only goalscoring opportunity before the break, as up to this point, the Serbs were the best team but the defence of the Maroons had been blocking out all attacking efforts without any problems. After the change of ends, in the 56^th minute, Gzira equalised. It was Radnicki goalkeeper Marko Drobnjak, far outside his box, who misjudged a clever pass by Zachary Scerri and in came Maxuel Samurai who slide the ball home at the second post. A present by the visitors, but a goal which sparked believe into the home-side as four minutes later, Maxuell was halted illegally in the box by Bojan Mladovic, with the referee pointing at the spot. The same Maxuell Samurai made no mistake from 11-meters to put the hosts 2-1 up. Radnicki surged forward, throwing all on attack and on 69 minutes, Maroons goalkeeper Radelic-Zarkov performed a great save on a powerful close-range Sava Petrov shot, turning his attempt into a corner. At the moment the Gzira clan really started to believe in a sensational win, Radnicki equalised, as two minutes into stoppage time, substitute Maka Gakou was in the right place to tap home a smart Strulic pass. A huge disappointment for the Maroons, but over-all the draw was a fair result. The return match in at the Gradski stadium "Čair" in Nis next Thursday night will kick off at 19h.

Velez Mostar 0-1 Hamrun Spartans
The in-form Spartans made a successful Maltese night complete with a classic 0-1 win in Sarajevo against Bosnian outfit Velez Mostar. Away wins are rare for Maltese teams in the European Cup, but Hamrun once more showed great tactical discipline and cohesion, setting up a mouth-watering return fixture in Malta next week. Only Birkirkara, in 2016, managed to survive two rounds in Europe, Hamrun could join them next Thursday. Hamrun, supported by some 200 faithful fans, created the first danger at the Grbavica Stadium when Matthew Guillaumier released Dodo not long after kick-off but the Bosnian custodian saved. Inside the first 25 minutes, Velez came close to open the score on three occasions, twice via Dino Hasanovic and a Nermin Haskic attempt but Henry Bonello stood firm and kept his side in the match. The decisive goal of the match was scored on the half hour mark. Dodo’s cross in the box was met by Elvis Mashike, who headed powerfully towards goal, with goalkeeper Slavisa Bogdanovic fisting the ball against the post and Guillaumier was in the right place to slot the ball home. Velez were clearly stunned and Hamrun quite easily consolidated their advantage. After the break, the Spartans continued to control procedures. Brazilian winger Jonny came close to double on 57 minutes from a Camenzuli cross and not much later, substitute Moussa Sowe, who replaced Jonny on 63 minutes, could have made his Hamrun debut even more memorable by scoring a second, but somehow the Gambian striker failed to find the net from an ideal position. Velez, spurred by their supporters, piled up the pressure to at least equalise and came close with attempts by Nemanja Andusic, substitute Djorde Pantelic and again Haskic but Bonello did extremely well to deny the Bosnians with some excellent interferences. The return match has been fixed on Thursday 28 July at the Centenary Stadium, kick off 20h.

Images copyright by Domenic Aquilina