Much of the talk among local football fans yesterday focused on Valletta’s convincing 3-0 win in the opening leg of the Champions League, first qualifying round, against Tre Fiori in San Marino on Tuesday.
Goals from Denni, Alfred Effiong and Gilbert Agius at the Serravalle Olympic Stadium put the Citizens firmly in control of the tie and are now virtually assured of setting up a second qualifying round clash against Lithuania champions Ekranas on July 12 and 19.
Victory over Tre Fiori extended Valletta’s positive streak in away Euro ties to four matches – three draws and one win – and coach Jesmond Zerafa lauded his players for such a convincing display.
“Playing away from home in Europe is never easy irrespective of your opponents,” he said, “but we were fully committed not to let this occasion slip by as we knew we had enough talent to beat Tre Fiori.
“We dictated matters for long stretches and, in my opinion, there were no doubts where victory was heading after taking the lead. A 3-0 advantage leaves us in a good position ahead of next week’s second leg. We’ll prepare adequately and in a tranquil atmosphere.”
New signing Effiong was one of the highlights in Valletta’s solid display.
He combined perfectly with Denni to put the visitors 2-0 up early in the second half. Zerafa reckons the Nigerian has already shown glimpses of his predatory instincts in attack.
“Alfred Effiong was a thorn in the Tre Fiori defence on Tuesday,” the coach said.
“He played with great confi-dence and each time he had the ball in his feet Tre Fiori were in trouble. His movement and understanding with Denni opened huge gaps in their defence and that helped a lot.
“He is still not 100 per cent fit though but once he reaches his peak he will be a key player for us.”
One low note emerging from the match was a series of missed opportunities by the City forwards at Serravalle.
Effiong, Denni and William Barbosa were all guilty of squandering open chances.
Zerafa admitted that his team cannot afford such lapses against stronger opponents.
“Our profligacy in front of their goal was a bit of a concern,” Zerafa admitted.
“Perhaps, it’s still early season but in this kind of matches you’ll easily get punished for those glaring misses. Each time you face a stronger team you have to take the chances you create. I can tell that from experience.”
With three goals to the good the Citizens will approach Wednesday’s game in buoyant mood.
“Our main goal next week will be to seal qualification early on,” Zerafa said.
“Some players who have not featured too much for us lately could be utilised to improve their match-fitness. But, our fans will be there, too, so we have to seek to beat Tre Fiori again and qualify in style for them.”
Paolo Tarini, the new Tre Fiori coach, admitted that Valletta were superior in fitness and that key factor turned out to be decisive in the end.
“We were doing okay at first but as the game progressed my players struggled to keep pace. In the second half, they were physically stronger and that made all the difference,” Tarini said.
“In our build-up we focused more on tactics than fitness and I’m pleased with the way my players reacted. Each time we had the chance to attack we tried to find openings. This is a new team I have so we need time to find our best form.
“In Malta, we shall give more space to our young players as I believe that it will be a valuable experience for them.”