The Malta Under-19 women’s team endured a tough start to their UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship Round 2 campaign, falling to a 6-0 defeat against Kosovo at the Centenary Stadium on Tuesday.
Kosovo Dominate from the Start
Kosovo wasted little time asserting themselves, nearly taking the lead within six minutes. Sahare Berisha unleashed a long-range effort that forced Maltese goalkeeper Erika Muscat into an impressive fingertip save, pushing the ball onto the crossbar before collecting it.
Despite Kosovo’s early pressure, Malta created a golden opportunity in the 17th minute. Ema Micallef struck a powerful effort that rattled the crossbar, with the rebound narrowly missing the target.
However, the breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Elona Paci capitalized on a defensive lapse during a corner, poking the ball home to give Kosovo the lead. The visitors continued to press, and Muscat was called into action again in the 26th and 30th minutes, making key saves to keep Malta in the game.
Kosovo’s second goal arrived in the 39th minute when a well-delivered free kick found Olsa Maqastena, who calmly slotted the ball into the net. Just two minutes later, Paci struck again on a counter-attack, leaving Malta trailing 3-0 at halftime.
Second Half Struggles for Malta
Malta showed signs of improvement after the break, winning more duels and trying to impose themselves. However, Kosovo extended their lead in the 57th minute when Riga Kallaba finished from close range after a defensive mix-up.
Despite Malta’s efforts to push forward, Kosovo punished their defensive gaps, with Paci securing her hat-trick in the 70th minute to make it 5-0. The final blow came in the 89th minute when Besjana Zogaj added a sixth goal, wrapping up a dominant display from Kosovo.
Next Fixture
With this loss, Malta now turns its attention to their second Group B3 match against Latvia on Friday, April 4, with kick-off scheduled for 14:30hrs.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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