Valletta 8
Caruana 3; Mifsud 9, 18, 45, 70; Jhonnattann 16, 22; E. Agius 72;
FC Lusitans 0
Anyone sauntering into the Hibs Stadium midway into the first half of this Champions League first qualifying round match between Valletta and Andorra’s FC Lusitans would have been forgiven for thinking that the electronic scoreboard had suffered a malfunction.
With Maltese sides having been on the receiving end of many a heavy defeat in European matches along the years, it is hard to imagine a local side dishing out a drubbing of their own but that was what happened yesterday as Valletta humiliated Lusitans, beating them 8-0.
Although Valletta were immediately installed as surefire favourites to knock out FC Lusitans, few if anybody, would have predicted that they were to utterly dominate their opponents in the first leg to the point that they were already 5-0 up by the 22nd minute.
Incredible but true.
From the moment Jonathan Caruana put Valletta ahead after just three minutes, the gulf in class between the two teams soon became apparent as the Maltese champions’ crisp passing and speedy movement had the Lusitans part-timers chasing shadows for long spells of this match, arguably the most one-sided European game ever played in Malta.
Michael Mifsud, all speed and direct running, tormented Lusitans all evening as the Malta captain helped himself to four goals and might have had more.
Valletta’s mammoth win all but seals their passage to a second qualifying round meeting with Partizan Belgrade.
On paper, the Serbian giants are favourites to advance to the third round but their assistant coach Aleksandar Rogic will surely warn the Partizan players not to underestimate Valletta after watching them annihilate Lusitans.
Cynics might say that Valletta yesterday looked so good because they were playing one of the weakest teams in Europe but no-one can deny that the Citizens are far better equipped and better prepared, technically, tactically and physically, to compete in Europe than they were a few years back.
As was to be expected, City coach Mark Miller made no changes from the team he fielded for the Euro Cup matches against Hibs and Birkirkara.
Valletta started in 4-1-2-3 fashion with Brazilians Jhonnattan and Denni playing either side of central striker Mifsud and Roderick Briffa probing behind the front trio.
Miller opted to deploy Caruana as a holding midfielder with Ricardo flanking Brazilian compatriot Jusselio in central defence.
Gilbert Agius, Miller’s no.2, was a surprise inclusion in Valletta’s squad.
Lusitans fashioned the first chance inside the first two minutes as Bruno Raposo, profiting from some sloppy defending by Valletta, burst clear but his angled drive flashed wide of the near post.
The Citizens’ riposte was immediate as they seized the lead after three minutes.
Jhonnattan’s run into the box forced Lusitans into conceding a corner and the Brazilian’s ensuing delivery was met by Caruana who headed into the net.
Within two minutes, Valletta should have made it 2-0 as Mifsud, sent clear by Jhonnattann, came one-on-one with Andres Benitez. The Lusitans goalkeeper closed down the Valletta striker but spilled the ball as the nippy Mifsud pulled it back to Jhonnattan whose effort was cleared away by a defender.
Valletta didn’t have to wait long to double their lead. The elusive Jhonnattann pulled clear on the right before sending in a measured cross which was headed in by Mifsud who was left completely unattended inside the six-yard box.
It could have become 3-0 for Valletta but Caruana’s header from another Jhonnattan corner just eluded the lunging Jusselio at the far post.
Galvanised by their two-goal flurry, the Maltese champions kept pushing forward.
The movement of their forwards was giving the slow-moving Lusitans defenders a torrid time and this was in abundant evidence when Valletta hit two more goals in the space of two minutes.
On 16 minutes, William Barbosa lofted a pass towards Denni whose diagonal shot was palmed away by Benitez but Jhonnattann was on hand to drive the rebound home.
Then Mifsud, latching on to another through-ball from Barbosa, surged into the box, rounded Benitez and fired home to give Valletta a 4-0 advantage.
It was not before the 21st minute that Lusitans recorded their first attempt at goal, Andre Krul easily saving Lionel Maciel’s central effort.
But it was Valletta who continued to pile on the agony for Lusitans, Jhonnattan curling the ball into the unguarded net from outside the box after the on-rushing Benitez had failed to win an aerial duel with Caruana.
Valletta continued to create chance after chance.
Mifsud made headway on the right before picking out Briffa whose first-time grounder rolled wide of the far post.
Two minutes past the half-hour, Krul saved an innocuous free-kick from Luis Reis, who had replaced Franclin Soares.
Five goals to the good, Valletta eased up but in so doing, became somewhat sloppy. Lusitans were seeing more of the ball but hardly threatened the City rearguard.
Two minutes from half-time, Mifsud diverted Barbosa’s cross-cum-shot into the net but the City striker was offside.
Lusitans’ reprieve was temporary as, on the stroke of half-time, Valletta made it half-a-dozen, Mifsud hitting home after receiving from Briffa to complete his hat-trick.
At the start of the second half, Miller introduced Ryan Fenech for Ricardo Filho as Caruana dropped to centre-half.
Three minutes into the second half, Krul did well to fist away Raposo’s piledriver.
In a sweeping City counter-attack, Denni advanced on the left before passing to Mifsud who in turn served Jhonnattan but the latter’s drive was off target.
The woodwork came to Lusitans’ rescue on 55 minutes as Denni’s strong drive crashed against the upright after the Brazilian had been set up by Mifsud.
There was a lull in scoring chances but, with 20 minutes left, Valletta hit goal no.7 courtesy of Mifsud who accelerated into the box and slotted home after sweeping past Benitez.
Goal no.8 came two minutes later with Edmond Agius, who had just come on for Jhonnattan, curling the ball home from inside the box after receiving from Briffa.
With 11 minutes left, FC Lusitans came close to scoring a consolation goal but Reis’s free-kick was just off target.
Mifsud then tried to score with a long-range lob but his effort finished over.
When Denni ran clear through the middle, the Brazilian looked certain to notch Valletta’s ninth but his exquisite chip hit the crossbar.
Valletta
A. Krul, S. Borg, I. Azzopardi (68 D. Falzon), Jusselio, Ricardo Filho (46 R. Fenech), J. Caruana, R. Briffa, W. Barbosa, Denni, Jhonnattan (71 E. Agius), M. Mifsud.
FC Lusitans
A. Benitez, Y. Fontan, H. Veloso (52 F. Goncalves), L. Maciel (85 E. Meza), F. Soares (23 L. Reis), R. Amaral, L. Pinto, V. Nunes, S. Bertran, B. Raposo, P. Reis.
Referee: Johnny Casanova (San Marino).
Yellow cards: Veloso, Maciel.
Champions League
Dudelange vs Tre Penne - 7-0
Linfield vs B36 - 0-0
Valletta vs FC Lusitans - 8-0
Second legs: July 10.
Europa League
Vikingur vs FC Gomel - 0-6
Second leg: July 12.
Skendija 79 vs Portadown - 0-0
Second leg: July 10.