Malta secures point against Andorra in tight Nations League match

Malta and Andorra fought out a hard-earned 0-0 stalemate at the National Stadium, bringing Malta’s UEFA Nations League campaign to a quiet close. The match, marked by Gabriel Mentz’s early red card, shifted the momentum decisively, with Malta’s numerical disadvantage ultimately hampering their chances of breaking down a resolute Andorran defense. Despite the adversity, the home side showed resilience and had their moments but found themselves on the back foot as the visitors created the better chances in the closing stages.

This final fixture of 2024 followed Malta’s promising 1-0 victory over Moldova last month, a result that secured second place in the group standings. Coach Davide Mazzotta made only one change to his lineup, handing Jurgen Degabriele a starting role up front in recognition of his standout performance against Liechtenstein. He replaced the injured Luke Montebello, while Matthew Guillaumier retained the captain’s armband, leading a largely unchanged side.

A bright start for Malta in their final Nations League encounter

The game started brightly for Malta, with Trent Buhagiar making a dangerous burst through Andorra’s defense in the 12th minute. His clever backheel set up Joseph Mbong, whose low shot from outside the box forced Andorra goalkeeper Iker Alvarez into his first meaningful save. Moments later, Andorra captain Marc Garcia almost embarrassed Henry Bonello with an audacious long-range effort, but the Malta goalkeeper adjusted just in time to avert the danger.

The match took a dramatic turn in the 17th minute when VAR reviewed Mentz’s foul on Albert Rosas in midfield. Initially deemed a routine free kick by the Bosnian referee, the challenge was upgraded to a red card, leaving Malta a man down. Mazzotta reacted swiftly, replacing the unlucky Degabriele with Enrico Pepe to shore up the defense. The tension escalated, with several yellow cards issued as both sides resorted to scrappy challenges.

Calamity for the Maltese side with an injury adding to a sending off

Malta suffered another setback shortly after the half-hour mark when Ryan Camenzuli limped off injured, prompting Mazzotta to introduce Myles Beerman. Despite the disruptions, Malta managed to create two excellent chances late in the first half. Mbong fired over from close range in the 36th minute, and just a minute later, a superb Guillaumier delivery into the six-yard box saw both Buhagiar and Kurt Shaw narrowly miss connecting. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Bonello kept Malta in the contest with a fine save to deny Joan Cervos’ curling effort.

The second half saw Malta, still down to 10 men, pressing for a breakthrough. However, Andorra began to exploit the extra space on the counter. In the 54th minute, Rosas broke free of Pepe and surged into the box, only to fire wide in what was the visitors’ best opportunity up to that point. Malta responded with a speculative long-range effort from Teddy Teuma in the 63rd minute, while Bonello remained alert to deny Cervos twice in quick succession, including a smart save in the 72nd minute to block a low shot from an acute angle.

Andorra miss some good chances at the end

As fatigue set in, Malta struggled to maintain their early attacking intent, and Andorra increasingly pushed forward. Rosas was a constant threat, with his darting run and inviting cross in the 84th minute going unanswered. The visitors came closest to snatching a winner deep in stoppage time when Rosas’ low drive whizzed past the post, much to the relief of the home crowd.

Despite the draw, Malta’s campaign can be seen as a success. Securing second place in the group guarantees a Promotion/Relegation Play-Off in March 2026 against either Latvia or Luxembourg. The draw for the playoffs is set for Friday in Nyon, and Malta will also learn their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification group opponents on December 13, with those fixtures set to begin in March 2025.

While this match ended on a subdued note, Malta’s Nations League journey highlights their steady progress on the international stage.