Dominant Mġarr face resurgent Birkirkara in Assikura Women’s Knockout final

Mġarr United and Birkirkara are set to clash in the Assikura Women’s Knockout final at the Centenary Stadium on Friday afternoon, with both sides chasing silverware for very different reasons (kick-off: 2pm).

Mġarr head into the final as clear favourites after a historic campaign.

The Greens secured their first-ever Assikura Women’s League title without losing a single match and added the Jubilee Cup to their honours list. Now, they are targeting a third trophy to cap what has already been a remarkable season.

Victory would also mean successfully defending the Knockout title they won last year.

Birkirkara, however, arrive with a point to prove.

The Stripes are determined to avoid a second consecutive trophyless season – a rare scenario for one of the most decorated clubs in the competition’s history. In fact, Birkirkara remain the record holders with 17 Knockout triumphs.

Recent form suggests they are peaking at the right time. Since February, Birkirkara have gone unbeaten in seven matches, including a 1-1 draw against Mġarr, and will be hoping to carry that momentum into the final.

Mġarr’s route to the final has been emphatic. They dismantled Hibernians 5-1 in the semi-finals after seeing off San Ġwann in the quarter-finals, underlining their attacking firepower.

Ryan Vella’s side has been outstanding all season, registering 17 wins and three draws in 20 league matches.

They scored an impressive 71 goals while conceding just eight.

Individually, Valeria Villegas finished as the team’s top scorer in the league with 16 goals, although she was unavailable for the semi-final. In her absence, Josline N’Guessan stepped up with a brace, taking her tally to 10 league goals – the same number as Argentina’s Maria Hernandez. Malta international Yulya Crella also made a significant contribution with nine goals.

Birkirkara, meanwhile, have relied heavily on Japanese forward Momo Ueda, whose 15 goals have been crucial to their campaign.

The Stripes eliminated last season’s league champions Swieqi United in the quarter-finals before defeating Valletta 5-0 in the semi-finals.

Both teams will be dealing with notable absences in defence.

Mġarr will be without Rebecca Bajada, while Birkirkara are missing captain Stephania Farrugia, with both players sidelined due to ACL injuries – an issue that has become increasingly prevalent in the women’s game, including locally.

Head-to-head, Mġarr have had the upper hand this season, winning three of their four league meetings, while the most recent encounter ended in a draw.

LIST OF WINNERS:

BIRKIRKARA – 17
HIBERNIANS – 5
RABAT AJAX – 3
MOSTA – 1
SWIEQI UNITED – 1
MĠARR UNITED – 1