Manuela Tesse’s Malta side showed resilience in their 2-1 victory over Georgia, securing a crucial win in the UEFA Women’s Nations League.
With this victory, Malta now leads Group C 2 with 9 points, two ahead of Cyprus.
The team is now in prime position to secure a promotion to League B for the second time.
Looking ahead, Malta’s upcoming match against Cyprus on May 30 looms large.
A victory there could potentially seal their promotion with a game to spare, avoiding a potential banana skin in the away fixture against Andorra on June 3.
However, Tesse and her team are aware of the need to address vulnerabilities in closing out matches, as seen in their recent game where they allowed Georgia back into contention.
Tightening up in these crucial moments will be key as they prepare for the pivotal clash with Cyprus.
“It is important that we learn to control more the ball in the closing stages,” Tesse told the Times of Malta.
“At the same time, it is crucial to keep the distances on the field correctly, short and compact, so to avoid our opponents breaking through.”
Tesse also pointed out that the introduction of new faces might have an effect on these lapses but at the same time, the Italian coach explained that this is all part of a process, and it is important to allow mistakes to happen because it helps the team to grow collectively.
Once again, Haley Bugeja and Maria Farrugia were constant threats to Georgia’s backline, using their pace and dribbling skills to good effect as Malta’s attacking unit continues to find its rhythm after a slow start to the campaign.
Although the Georgian defence held firm for most of the first half, the second period saw a noticeable shift. Malta found more fluency in their play, and it showed in the number of chances they created, with their frontline finally sparking into life and putting real pressure on their opponents.
Still, Tesse is urging her side to be sharper from a technical standpoint, particularly when it comes to executing key passes in the final third. While the team is creating more opportunities, the Malta coach knows that better precision in those decisive moments will be crucial to fully capitalise and put games to bed.
“We need to learn when to keep the ball, when to play it to feet, and when to exploit the space,” Tesse explained.
“Today, we had instructed Haley and Maria to stay wide on the touchline and make runs behind the defenders for through balls, but that didn’t always materialise.”
Tesse acknowledged that while execution in those moments needs to improve, it’s also part of a broader transition.
“It’s a process. We have different players compared to previous editions, and they’re still adjusting to the demands of this system. That takes time, but the signs are promising,” she said.
With the women’s domestic cup final scheduled for May 1, Manuela Tesse will have an extended window to work closely with the locally-based players ahead of the crucial May 30 clash against Cyprus.
While the long break could be seen as a potential concern in terms of match sharpness, Tesse remains confident in her squad’s preparation.
“It’s true that the next match comes after a long break,” she said.
“We’ll wait for the Maltese players based abroad, but in the meantime, we’ll have a longer training camp with the local players. After giving them the proper rest following the Knockout competition, we’ll begin a focused preparation for the upcoming games.”
