Valletta 2
Zammit 58 pen; Barbosa 88;
SP Tre Fiori 1
Lisi 21 pen;
Complacency was Valletta’s biggest obstacle ahead of their home encounter with San Marino’s Tre Fiori yesterday.
A 3-0 victory in the first leg had prompted suggestions that Valletta were home and dry as only a catastrophe of seismic proportions would deprive them of a meeting with Lithuania’s FK Ekranas in the second qualifying round of the lucrative Champions League.
The prevailing feeling before the match was that the Citizens had already shifted their attention to their probable clash with Ekranas but they still had work to do to seal their berth in the next round.
Tre Fiori had been outplayed in the first leg but their optimism of pulling off a Houdini act rose when they seized a 21st-minute lead from a penalty after Valletta had fashioned the better chances.
Inevitably, Tre Fiori’s early goal unsettled Valletta who had been the better side until then but after a few wobbles, the Whites reclaimed the initiative to run rings around their tiring opponents who gave up their ghost after Matteo Vendemini was dismissed for two bookings.
Two second-half goals ensured that Valletta rubberstamped their passage to the second qualifying round with a home victory, 5-1 on aggregate, but their margin of their win would have been far bigger had the Citizens taken half the chances they created.
Their wastefulness caused some frustration to their fans, who packed the Hibs Stadium, but all was forgotten when the referee blew the final whistle as the City faithful savoured their team’s European win.
Coach Jesmond Zerafa opted to keep Roderick Briffa and Jonathan Caruana in reserve after both earned a caution in the first-leg victory. The onus of replacing Caruana fell on Kenneth Scicluna, who was making his first start for the Citizens in a year, while Ousseni Zongo replaced Briffa.
Captain Gilbert Agius and Ian Zammit were also handed starting roles as Ryan Fenech and William Barbosa were named on the bench.
A loud applause filled the air as Michael Mifsud, Valletta’s latest marquee signing, walked onto the pitch to salute the buoyant City fans before kick-off.
Valletta may have taken the lead inside the opening two minutes. Alfred Effiong released Denni who sped into the box but his angled grounder was tipped away by Tre Fiori goalkeeper Gianluca Cola.
Denni’s brisk movement was giving the Tre Fiori defence a torrid time. On one occasion, Denni got behind the back-tracking defenders to collect a long ball and ran into box but Cola made himself big to dispossess the Brazilian.
On 21 minutes, Tre Fiori gained a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty after Scicluna was adjudged to have hauled down Alessandro Giunta inside the box. Albanian midfielder Altin Lisi made no mistake from the spot to put Tre Fiori 1-0 up and 3-1 down on aggregate.
Denni created space for a shot just outside the box but his curling drive was wide. At the other end, Tre Fiori threatened to double their lead when Lisi pounced on Edmond Agius’s wayward headed clearance but the midfielder lifted his shot over the bar.
Nine minutes from half-time, Valletta should have levelled matters when Denni, latching onto a looping pass from Jamie Pace, darted into the box. After exchanging passes with Effiong, he came face to face with Cola but the latter managed to keep out the Brazilian’s effort.
That was to be Denni’s last contribution as the Brazilian succumbed to injury following an abrasive tackle. His void was filled by Fenech, a midfielder who can also play wide as Zerafa probably tried to redress the tactical imbalance of his team.
Three minutes into the second half, Pace let fly a powerful drive from the distance but Cola repelled his effort. The ball fell to Zammit who mishit his shot but the Valletta striker was offside.
Valletta received a double boost 11 minutes into the second half as they won a penalty after Vendemini, who had been cautioned in the first half, nudged the leaping Zammit off the ball inside the area. Pashai pointed to the spot and dismissed the Tre Fiori defender before Zammit drilled his shot past Cola to equalise.
Barbosa, who had just replaced Zongo, threatened to make an instant impact but his header from Zammit’s cross was saved by Cola.
The Brazilian was at it again moments later but his powerful header from Effiong’s service crashed against the crossbar.
Three goals up on aggregate and a man to the good, Valletta pressed on the accelerator. Pace should have fired Valletta ahead when he surged into the box to receive Effiong’s pass but the midfielder hit wide with the goal at his mercy.
The Maltese champions persisted with their attacking approach. Cola was prominent again when jumping to his right to paw away Gilbert Agius’s free-kick. From the resultant corner, Zammit’s cross was headed backward by Pace but the ball flashed against the base of the far post. A goalmouth scramble ensued as first Barbosa and then Kevin Sammut tried to direct the ball into the net but Tre Fiori survived.
Barbosa crowned his lively cameo with a goal two minutes from time, prodding home from close in after Tre Fiori failed to clear Edmond Agius’s cross.
Valletta
A. Hogg, E. Agius, S. Borg, K. Scicluna, D. Falzon, G. Agius, J. Pace, Denni (41 R. Fenech) I. Zammit, O. Zongo (59 W. Barbosa), A. Effiong (77 K. Sammut).
Tre Fiori
G. Cola, M. Andreini, M. Baizan, N. Canarezza (79 S. Grana), A. Lisi, M. Simoncini, F. Vannoni, M. Vendemini, F. Amici (65 G. Zenunay), A. Giunta (90 F. Stolfi), N. Grini.
Referee: Bardhyl Pashai (Albania).
Yellow cards: Simoncini; Vendemini; Barbosa; Andreini.
Red card: Vendemini (TF) 56
Attendance: 1,700.