Juan Corbalan has hailed the aggressive approach adopted by his Ħamrun Spartans team-mate in their top-of-the-table clash against Gżira United on Saturday and said that they fully deserved to leave the National Stadium with the three points in the bag.
Video: Mark Zammit Cordina
Goals from Franklin Sasere and debutant Claude Dielna handed the Spartans a crucial 2-1 win over Gżira United that enabled the team to preserve their two-point lead over nearest rivals Hibernians at the top of the standings ahead of next week’s crucial showdown which may well decide where the title will head to come the end of the season.
“It was a very important victory for our hopes of winning the title,” Corbalan told the Times of Malta.
“We came out with a very aggressive approach right from kick-off and managed to play our game and at the end of the day I think we deserved to return home with the three points in the bag.”
On Saturday, Ħamrun Spartans coach Mark Buttigieg fielded his team in a new tactical shape of 3-4-3 with Corbalan and his national team team-mate Joseph Mbong playing as wingbacks.
Corbalan said that despite the fact that the team had little time to work on it, he felt that the team did very well.
“It’s true this is the first time that we played with a 3-4-3 formation and to be honest we didn’t have a lot of time to work on it as it was only this week that we focused on it,” Corbalan said.
“However, every player in the team knew exactly what he needed to do and, in the end, we managed to pull off a great performance.”
On Saturday, Corbalan was playing against his former team Gżira United who he left to join the Spartans in the summer and the Malta wing back admitted that facing his former employers was a source of extra motivation.
“When you play against your former team there is always that extra motivation to do better,” Corbalan said.
“I was keen to show my ability as a player and I feel that I gave everything I had. Every time I put my red shirt on I always try and give my 100 per cent on the pitch and I was pleased with my performance today.”
