Europa lead the table as matchday 3 arrives

With Lincoln Red Imps delaying their league campaign as they continue battling for a place in the group stages of the Conference League, the league table has seen some surprises after just two matchdays.
St Joseph’s kicked off their season with a convincing victory over College 1975, who had surprised everyone last weekend by defeating the much-talked-about Manchester 62.
While only St Joseph’s, Mons Calpe, Europa Point, Lions, and Lincoln Red Imps have played fewer than two matches, the rest of the table shows that all other clubs, except Europa, have already lost at least one of their two matches.
Europa, who struggled last season to find their form after seeing a mass exodus of players last summer, have started on the right foot. The green and blacks top the table after two matchdays with two victories to their name.
Europa began this Sunday with a 17th-minute goal from Vittorio, putting them ahead in their clash against Glacis United. In what was a tightly contested match, Cardoso Queni leveled the score in the 54th minute. However, Europa was not to be outdone, securing a winner through Julian Del Rio in the 74th minute. The latter had just come on for Parody 14 minutes earlier to make his mark.
Captained by veteran and former St Joseph’s captain Mouelhi, Europa started with Parody, Vinet, and Yeo joining their captain as home-grown players, later joined by Jones and Del Rio. Europa maintains their unbeaten start to the season as they prepare for their next match, where they will face Mons Calpe.
Mons Calpe, whose future was one of the main talking points this summer, started by grinding out a victory against a determined Lynx side. A goal in the 45th minute by Ayala Sanchez, who was later substituted by Bartkowiak, dealt Lynx a tough blow right before halftime.
Mons Calpe saw goalkeeper Fraiz Garcia substituted with five minutes left in the match, with Paulino Cataneda taking his place. Interestingly, Mons Calpe kept former Lynx forward Valdivia on the bench, despite his reputation as a goalscorer.
Lynx, despite fielding experienced players like Kyle Cascairo and Sastrie, both now in their late thirties, were unable to find the net. Having lost their first two league matches, Lynx has had a slow start to the season.
Mons Calpe, whose future many had doubted this summer, has started by earning their first three points.
With Lincoln Red Imps rescheduling their matches, three teams were not in action this weekend—Lions Gibraltar and Europa Point being the other two.
This weekend will see Europa Point take on Lynx in what should be an interesting clash, as neither team has recorded any points yet, sitting at the foot of the table. Both sides are expected to compete for a top-six finish.
The weekend will also feature Europa taking on Mons Calpe in what should be another interesting encounter. Europa, currently unbeaten and looking to secure their place in the top half of the table, will aim to stamp their mark with a positive result against Mons Calpe.
In other encounters, St Joseph’s will face Glacis United. With Glacis having won one and lost one, St Joseph’s will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, putting pressure on other contenders for the top spots. St Joseph’s will be hoping to do better than last season, where they dropped crucial points, allowing Lincoln to clinch the title.
Lions, who rested this weekend, will be hoping for a better performance than in their first league match. Despite a hard-fought encounter, their defeat by Bruno Magpies leaves them without any points. Facing College 1975, who have already caused an upset by defeating Manchester 62, Lions will be hoping to expose College 1975’s vulnerabilities, as St Joseph’s did this past weekend. Dropping points against College 1975 is something they will want to avoid at all costs if they are to challenge for a top-six finish this season.