Banda becomes instant hero with last minute penalty save

Liechtenstein 0
Gibraltar 0

Gibraltar were to come away with an important point after a good display against Liechtenstein but not before Banda became a hero with a last minute penalty save. Gibraltar who had dominated play and looked the better on the field unable to break the deadlock and leaving themselves exposed in the final minutes as the team tired and head coach Julio Ribas made only two changes.
This was to be a crucial match for Gibraltar from the start.

Julio Ribas opted to bring on Nicholas Pozo instead of last week’s goal scorer, Ethan Britto, while Kianan Ronan replaced Graeme Torilla. Both players had been excluded from the team due to the accumulation of yellow cards. These changes, however, showcased the depth of talent among Gibraltar’s young players, allowing for a seamless transition on the field.

Gibraltar headed to Liechtenstein after beating San Marino, which saw them top the group table. In their previous encounter against Liechtenstein, the hosts had equalized in the final moments of a thrilling 2-2 draw at Europa Point, leaving Gibraltar feeling hard done by. Liechtenstein, for their part, needed a win after also losing to San Marino and were preparing for what was a crucial game. They had played a friendly against Hong Kong the previous week, securing a 1-0 victory thanks to a 16th-minute goal.

The pressure was on the hosts, Liechtenstein, who needed to secure three points. The Sunday kickoff saw empty seats across the main stands, with a crowd size similar to what’s seen in Gibraltar. This highlighted how UEFA Nations League matches at this level, in Group D, often struggled to attract the minimum required capacity. This situation somewhat favored Gibraltar, whose away games typically see only a small handful of fans in attendance, with this game drawing just over 1,500 spectators.

Gibraltar started strong, focusing on controlling possession and building forward. Early on, Scanlon made a run down the wing and delivered a ball into the middle to test the Liechtenstein defense. Shortly after, De Barr attempted to break down the same wing, putting the hosts under pressure.

Gibraltar’s offensive approach left Liechtenstein struggling to settle during the opening five minutes. Saglam conceded a foul in the fifth minute, giving Liam Walker a chance to test the defense with a floated free-kick. The longer-than-normal grass, deliberately kept so by Liechtenstein, was supposed to slow Gibraltar down, as they’re used to playing on a faster artificial surface, but it proved ineffective in the opening stages.

After absorbing the early pressure, Liechtenstein began to find their footing, and the match opened up, with play moving more through the middle. Gibraltar, not taking a defensive posture, continued to push forward with numbers, putting additional pressure on the hosts. Salanovic, one of the key players to watch, received an early yellow card after fouling De Barr in the first 15 minutes.

Gibraltar’s confident start had left Liechtenstein frustrated. The hosts had managed just one distant attempt on goal, while the small crowd sat in near silence. By the 23rd minute, some high pressing from Walker allowed Gibraltar to force another corner after Olivero stretched the play. However, the resulting shot went high into the empty seats behind the goal.

Liechtenstein responded with Kindle winning a corner at the other end. Buchel’s delivery ended with a wild high kick, resulting in a foul on Jolley, who bravely stood his ground. Moments later, Jolley received a yellow card for a late challenge on Goeppel, but the subsequent cross was wasted, and Banda, who had little to do up to that point, easily collected it.

Walker continued to threaten with another floated free-kick on the half-hour mark, but the hosts scrambled it clear. Gibraltar pressed Liechtenstein’s defense, though without much success, before Liechtenstein had a rare shot at goal that Banda easily saved.

Ronan responded for Gibraltar, forcing a stretch from the Liechtenstein goalkeeper. As the half progressed, Gibraltar began to show signs of fatigue due to the soggy, long grass. However, they maintained their momentum. De Barr earned a foul on the 38th minute, with Walker delivering another floated ball that ended safely in the goalkeeper’s arms. Liechtenstein tested Banda from distance, but the Gibraltar goalkeeper comfortably collected the ball on the second attempt.

An injury to Buchel caused some concern for the hosts as the first half wound down, but Gibraltar managed to frustrate them, disrupting their rhythm. Both teams made changes before the second half, with Traber also on a yellow card and Salanovic replaced. Buchel returned to the field, seemingly fine after his earlier injury scare.

As expected, the hosts came out with renewed pressure after the break, knowing that a scoreless draw was far from ideal for their aspirations. Gibraltar, however, remained on the front foot. De Barr continued to be a target for fouls, with Marxer committing a strong challenge that earned him a yellow card in the 50th minute.

Walker’s free-kick caused problems for the Liechtenstein goalkeeper, who failed to collect cleanly. A second cross from Walker found Lopez, but his attempt went wide of the post, and he was offside anyway. Gibraltar maintained their strong presence on the field, with Liechtenstein growing increasingly frustrated, evidenced by wild clearances and lack of control.

By the 57th minute, De Barr was fouled again, giving Walker another opportunity to test the Liechtenstein defense. This time, Walker opted to go for goal, forcing the goalkeeper to punch it over the crossbar for a corner. From the ensuing corner, Annesley fired a shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle, but VAR ruled the ball had gone out of play before his strike, denying Gibraltar a goal.

Despite the setback, Gibraltar kept up the pressure, while Liechtenstein made changes. By the 64th minute, Ribas had yet to make any substitutions, continuing to trust his starting eleven as they dominated play. As the final 20 minutes approached, Liechtenstein tried to apply pressure but struggled to create any real threat to Banda’s goal.

The game became scrappy towards the end, with both sides looking vulnerable to a late goal. In the 81st minute, Walker stole the ball in the center circle and passed to De Barr, whose ball to Scanlon was just a few inches too far, allowing the goalkeeper to collect.

With questions arising over Ribas’ delay in making substitutions, Gibraltar began to show signs of tired legs. Liechtenstein briefly broke free in the final minutes, but Gibraltar held firm. Ribas finally made changes in the 87th minute, bringing on Casciaro and Bartolo to add fresh legs to the front line.

A foul by Bent in the penalty area resulted in a penalty for Liechtenstein in the 90th minute. To compound matters, Bent received a second yellow and was sent off. However, Banda produced a phenomenal save, diving the right way and ensuring Gibraltar cleared the ball. His heroics in the final minute of injury time secured a crucial point for Gibraltar.

The scoreless draw kept Gibraltar at the top of the group table, with their next match set to be a decider against San Marino in November.