Gibraltar must defend against conceding in final half hour

Gibraltar fans will be pleased to see how Gibraltar has improved its goalscoring record under the guidance of head coach Scott Wiseman, in contrast to the final two years under former coach Julio Ribas.

Since Scott Wiseman’s arrival, Gibraltar have played sixteen matches, from which they have scored eleven goals. This is five more than under Julio Ribas’ guidance during a period stretching four more matches, 20, over the two years prior to his departure.

The progress has also not stopped there, with Gibraltar conceding 20 goals fewer over the same period of 16 matches. Gibraltar under Wiseman have conceded 34 goals in 16 matches, whilst Ribas saw 54 goals conceded in 20 matches.

Whilst this represents a confidence boost for Gibraltar and its present coach, the impact of Julio Ribas on Gibraltar’s national team cannot be ignored. During the same period, Gibraltar saw its record go from 0–46 in 2023 to 6–8 in 2024.

The 2024 improvement included a seven-match unbeaten run, beginning with the 1–0 Andorra win and running through to the 1–1 Moldova draw at the end of Ribas’s final full year.

Gibraltar are currently on another unbeaten run, now stretching to four matches.

The statistics, however, also provide some concerns over Gibraltar’s progress, with the biggest concern being its continued vulnerabilities in the latter stages of the game.

Whilst Gibraltar has increased its goalscoring record and displayed a greater offensive nature on the pitch, during the two years since Scott Wiseman became head coach, Gibraltar continues to concede in the latter stages of the game.

Over 50% of the goals conceded have come in the final half hour. A total of 18 of the 34 goals conceded came during this period, with Gibraltar having scored just one of its eleven goals during the past two years under Wiseman during the same period of the match.

This trend is a return to similar concerns which existed in 2023, when Gibraltar conceded 16 of the 46 goals conceded that year during the final half hour of the game.

That trend was reduced to just three goals conceded during the latter half hour of matches from six conceded in total during 2024. Gibraltar, however, saw fans turning against the tactics being used, with Gibraltar seen as far too defensive in its approach and aiming not to lose matches rather than looking to score to win.

A more offensive approach was brought into Gibraltar’s play on the field which, during the transitional period, saw Gibraltar exposed more at the back as it adapted to chasing goals.

Notably, Gibraltar has reduced the number of goals conceded in the first half hour of matches since Wiseman arrived.

Gibraltar, now heading into its next Nations League match against Malta, is still in a transitional phase as the squad settles down and adapts to the changes brought under Wiseman from what was a very defensive formation under Ribas.

The latter’s defensive policy, although frowned upon, changed Gibraltar’s fate from being seen as the “minnows” in football to earning respect for the difficulties opponents faced in breaking them down.

This was despite Gibraltar having conceded fourteen against France in what was an evening to forget — a match in which Wiseman himself took part, coming on as a substitute for Ronan.

Ribas final two years — 2023–24

* Gibraltar: 6 scored
* Opponents: 54 scored
* 20 matches

Wiseman period — 2025–26

* Gibraltar: 11 scored
* Opponents: 34 scored
* 16 matches