Valletta will need a memorable performance on home soil when they host Polish side Raków Częstochowa in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie on Thursday evening.
The Maltese side trail 3-1 from the first leg in Poland after surrendering a first-half lead, leaving them with a difficult task if they are to keep their European campaign alive.
Valletta made an encouraging start to the tie, taking the lead midway through the opening half and frustrating their hosts for much of the contest. However, Raków’s quality eventually told after the break as the Polish outfit struck three unanswered goals to seize control of the tie.
Despite the setback, Valletta will take confidence from an impressive 2025/26 campaign that saw them mark their return to the Malta Premier League by finishing fourth before ending the season by lifting the FA Trophy.
Although their hopes of challenging for the league title came to an end during the Championship Phase, the Citizens demonstrated resilience throughout the campaign and now face another stern test against one of Poland’s leading clubs.
Raków narrowly missed out on the Ekstraklasa title last season, finishing fourth in an exceptionally close championship race, just one point behind champions Jagiellonia and second-placed Górnik Zabrze.
Their domestic campaign has begun on a disappointing note following a 2-1 home defeat to Wisła Płock, meaning European progress has become an early priority for the Polish side.
Thursday’s encounter will be only the second competitive meeting between the clubs after last week’s first leg marked their maiden clash.
Valletta are expected to push forward in search of the goals needed to overturn the deficit, but they will have to be wary of Raków’s pace and quality on the counter-attack.
Sports Editor
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