Tesse seeks sharper edge in key moments as Malta women prepare for Georgia match

Manuela Tesse was thrilled with her team’s response after their victory against Georgia in the UEFA Nations League clash in Tbilisi.

Malta’s performance, especially with their aggressive 4-3-3 attacking system, paid off handsomely with three first-half goals.

This win not only boosts their League B promotion hopes but also puts them just one point behind leaders Cyprus, who stumbled with a draw against Andorra on Friday.

Looking ahead, Malta has crucial matches coming up, including a home tie against Georgia and a direct encounter with Cyprus.

Tesse rightly emphasises the need for better game management to avoid any slip-ups in these decisive fixtures. Managing these remaining games effectively will be key to their promotion aspirations.

Against Georgia, Malta seized control early in the match, demonstrating their capability to execute their tactical plan effectively.

“We played an amazing first half – definitely the best 45 minutes since I’ve been in Malta,” Tesse told the Times of Malta.

“We were excellent at finding key passes and recognizing free spaces. All our goals came from collective team play, and the players were fully committed to putting into practice what we’ve been working on during training.”

Despite the important three points, Tesse was less pleased with how the second half unfolded – and rightly so. Defensive lapses crept in, nearly undoing all the good work from a dominant first 45 minutes.

Georgia capitalised early in the second half with a goal that reignited their hopes. The hosts then threatened further through Teona Bakradze, their dangerous forward from Trabzonspor, who carved out two clear chances that could have swung the momentum completely.

To add to the tension, Georgia managed to score a second deep in stoppage time via a controversial penalty.

A goal that, while not altering the result, could prove costly in the grander scheme. It trims Malta’s goal difference to +1, just behind Cyprus’ +2 – a potentially key factor should promotion be decided on a tiebreaker.

To make matters trickier, captain Emma Lipman picked up a yellow card and is suspended for tomorrow’s return match against Georgia at the Centenary Stadium.

However, Tesse will be able to call on the experience of Charlene Zammit.

With over 100 caps to her name, Zammit returns from suspension and will be a welcome presence at the heart of defence.

“Of course, I’m not happy with the second half,” Tesse pointed out.

“We conceded a goal due to individual mistakes and then the penalty came right at the end of the game. I think we lost our concentration. We knew Georgia is a team that never gives up, and they proved that on the pitch.”

“Even so, we still created many chances to score in the second half. We need to mature and improve our ability to manage the game better – especially when we’re in the lead.”