Sports Mole previews Thursday’s friendly clash between Malta and Liechtenstein, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Liechtenstein will travel to the Ta’ Qali National Stadium on Thursday to take on Malta in an international friendly.
The hosts head into the meeting on the back of consecutive victories in the UEFA Nations League, while their visitors are also unbeaten in three outings.
Match preview
© Imago
Malta head back into action on Thursday aiming to make it three straight victories for the first time since 2020, having put a pair of important results together in the UEFA Nations League in recent international breaks.
The Reds began the latest continental campaign in group D2 with a defeat to Moldova in early September, but they would put their first points on the board in the following trip to Andorra as Ryan Camenzuli netted the only goal of the game on the stroke of half time in Michele Marcolini‘s final game at the helm.
Davide Mazzotta has since taken over, and they returned the favour in a home meeting with Moldova in his only game at the helm thus far, picking up another one-goal victory in October to move onto six points as Teddy Teuma broke the deadlock with three minutes remaining.
Now heading into Thursday’s friendly before concluding their group campaign at home to Andorra on Tuesday, knowing a draw would guarantee their promotion playoff spot, Malta will hope to build further momentum with a home victory in Ta’ Qali.
Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip on Thursday aiming to extend a three-match unbeaten streak after beginning to overcome a dismal run in recent months.
Following a defeat to San Marino and a draw with Gibraltar in the UEFA Nations League in September, Liechtenstein met Hong Kong in a friendly last month and recorded a first victory in four years, as Nicolas Hasler netted the only goal early on.
They would then return to continental action in another meeting with Gibraltar in the Nations League and take another point as the game ended in a goalless stalemate, leaving Konrad Funfstuck‘s side still bottom of group D1 and a point behind San Marino in the promotion playoff place.
Before meeting the second-placed side in the final game of the group next week, Liechtenstein will now bid to go four games unbeaten for the first time in their history.
Malta form (all competitions):
Liechtenstein form (all competitions):
Team News
In preparation for next week’s decisive meeting with Andorra, Malta could be unchanged from their 1-0 victory over Moldova last month, with Kurt Shaw, Gabriel Mentz and Jean Borg likely to continue in a back three after that clean sheet.
Teddy Teuma, who plies his trade for Reims in Ligue 1, is a key man in the midfield, having netted his fourth international goal in his 39th cap to decide their last game, and he should be joined by Matthew Guillaumier.
Alexander Satariano will compete for an attacking spot, but Luke Montebello could again lead the line with support from Paul Mbong and Brescia winger Trent Buhagiar.
Similarly to their hosts, Liechtenstein should field an unaltered back three for Thursday’s friendly after their goalless stalemate with Gibraltar last time out, with Martin Marxer, Lars Traber and Maximilian Goppel all likely to keep their places.
Captain Nicolas Hasler leads the squad for caps and goals with 98 and seven respectively and will continue on the right-hand side, while Dennis Salanovic will lead the line alongside Ferhat Saglam.
Malta possible starting lineup:
Bonello; Shaw, Mentz, Borg; J Mbong, Teuma, Guillaumier, Camenzuli; P Mbong, Montebello, Buhagiar
Liechtenstein possible starting lineup:
B Buchel; Marxer, Traber, Goppel; Hasler, M Buchel, Luchinger, Sele, Kindle; Saglam, Salanovic
We say: Malta 3-1 Liechtenstein
With momentum from a pair of consecutive competitive victories, Malta should have too much quality for Liechtenstein on Thursday and we back them to make it three on the bounce with home advantage.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
