Malta and Bulgaria endured contrasting fortunes in the lead-up to their Euro 2016 Group H encounter at the National Stadium this evening but national coach Pietro Ghedin is keeping his feet firmly grounded.
Stunning second-half strikes from Paul Fenech and Alfred Effiong earned Malta a morale-boosting win over Lithuania on a night when the stuttering Bulgaria were on the receiving end of a 4-0 hiding against Turkey in another warm-up.
The heat is clearly on the visiting team to dispel the mounting gloom with a dominant victory against minnows Malta who, ironically, had heaped further misery on Bulgaria when holding them to a 1-1 draw in Sofia back in November, a result that cost Lyuboslav Penev his job as coach of the Balkan nation.
Ghedin warned his players that they need to compete like gladiators if they are to stand a chance of taking something from today’s game.
“I’m very optimistic because the players are more confident after the win over Lithuania,” Ghedin said.
“But it will be a very difficult match for us. We need 11 gladiators not 11 ballerinas (ballet dancers) on the pitch to have a chance.”
Bulgaria are passing through a turbulent patch but Ghedin is wary of a backlash from the opposition.
“Bulgaria are 62nd in the FIFA rankings and that says it all about their pedigree,” Ghedin said.
“They are a tough team. Having already played Bulgaria, we know that they can be very dangerous. We must be very careful.
“Although Bulgaria lost 4-0 to Turkey in a friendly on Monday, the match was defined by episodes. Bulgaria played well generally.
“We know we have to approach this game in the right frame of mind, convinced that we can do well.”
The Italian coach is bracing himself for an aggressive game from Bulgaria.
While Ghedin has called on his charges not to get over-excited after their win over Lithuania, he believes that Monday’s success has reinforced their self-belief.
“After the Lithuania victory, I hope that our players have more faith in themselves,” the Italian said.
“By and large, I think we have played well in most of our games over the past year but we have been penalised for our mistakes.
“Now we’re coming from a good outing and this should help us. We are still handicapped by injuries as, apart from the players who are out of the squad, André Schembri and Alfred Effiong are not fully fit but we hope to recover them for the game.”
We need 11 gladiators not 11 ballerinas (ballet dancers) on the pitch to have a chance
A paltry crowd of 950 witnessed Malta’s defeat of Lithuania but today’s qualifier is expected to lure more fans to the stadium amid a heightened sense of expectation.
Mindful of the pitfalls awaiting his team if they head into today’s game with an air of over-confidence, Ghedin is adamant that his players will keep their emotions in check after Monday’s success.
“It just can’t happen,” was Ghedin’s prompt reply when asked if he was worried that the win over Lithuania might alienate his players.
“We are aware of our qualities, both positive and negative, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves just because we have done well in a friendly match.
“As I’ve already said, the win over Lithuania should give us courage but it’s my responsibility to make sure that the team remains fully concentrated.”
Effiong was the toast of the nation on Tuesday as he finished off a dazzling run with an astounding shot to seal Malta’s success after midfielder Fenech had opened the scoring just past the hour.
The Qormi forward added impetus to Malta’s attack after coming on for Andrew Cohen while Edward Herrera, who had replaced Alex Muscat, also produced a lively cameo on the right flank.
In the second half, there was no escaping the feeling that Ghedin’s substitutions had rejuvenated the team, especially in the attacking phase, leaving the coach with a selection dilemma for today’s qualifier.
“It’s a positive dilemma,” he said.
“The team’s improved display showed me that the changes I made had a positive effect. I see that as a good sign because, if I need to change something during the game, I know that we have other options.
“In saying this, I don’t want to take anything away from those who started because they also made their contribution. But, the players who came on as substitutes gave us an extra push in their respective roles.”
On the back of his astonishing goal and vibrant performance against Lithuania, Effiong is in line to start today, provided he recovers from a muscle strain.
Although Schembri’s condition has improved, Ghedin is unlikely to gamble with the Omonia Nicosia forward’s fitness, meaning that captain Michael Mifsud should start alongside Effiong in attack.
In midfield, Rowen Muscat, who played a blinder against Lithuania, Roderick Briffa and Fenech are certain to keep their places while, at the back, Clayton Failla will continue on the left flank with Andrei Agius, Zach Muscat and Ryan Camilleri filling the centre-half roles.
On the right, Ghedin must decide whether to stick with Alex Muscat, who defended well against Lithuania, or opt for Herrera who proved himself more effective going forward.
The onus of defending Malta’s goal will again fall on the experienced Justin Haber in the absence of Andrew Hogg.
Pressed to identify the aspects of Malta’s performance on Monday that need improving in today’s game, Ghedin said: “I work a lot on defence. Individual errors often prove costly and this is why I devote a lot of attention to the positional and tactical aspects during training.
“It’s obvious that when we commit fewer mistakes, especially in defence, the team plays better.”
While Malta have one point from their opening five qualifiers, Bulgaria have five, a dismal return by their usual standards.
Although Malta are the underdogs going into today’s clash, hopes are high that the national team will add to their one-point tally in their remaining five qualifiers, especially when playing on home turf.
“There are always possibilities but we have to be realistic,” Ghedin said.
“We should never lose sight of who we are. I mean Malta is ranked 145th in world football while Bulgaria is 62nd.
“Our opposing teams can rely on full-time professional players. We believe in our abilities but we are also aware of our limitations.
“Our objective is always to give more than our 100 per cent. If we win or draw, that would be awesome. We are never happy to lose but we have to make sure that we walk off the pitch knowing that we have done our duty.”
Previous encounters
World Cup
07-10-2000: Bulgaria vs Malta - 3-0
31-08-2001: Malta vs Bulgaria - 0-2
13-10-2004: Bulgaria vs Malta - 4-1
12-10-2005: Malta vs Bulgaria - 1-1
22-03-2013: Bulgaria vs Malta - 6-0
10-09-2013: Malta vs Bulgaria - 1-2
European Championship
11-06-1975: Bulgaria vs Malta - 5-0
21-12-1975: Malta vs Bulgaria - 0-2
16-11-2014: Bulgaria vs Malta - 1-1
Friendlies
14-10-1982: Bulgaria vs Malta - 7-0
26-12-1982: Malta vs Bulgaria - 0-0
18-11-2009: Malta vs Bulgaria - 1-4
Formations (probable)
Malta (5-3-2): J. Haber, A. Muscat/E. Herrera, A. Agius, P. Fenech, C. Failla, R. Briffa, M. Mifsud, A. Effiong, R. Muscat, R. Camilleri, Z. Muscat.
Bulgaria (4-2-3-1): B. Mitrev, S. Manolev, G. Terziev, A. Aleksandrov, Y. Minev, S, Djakov, V. Gadzhev, I. Popov, I. Bandalovski, G, Milanov, I. Micanski.
Referee: A. Stavrev (Macedonia).
Kick-off: 8.45pm.