Match Report - Gibraltar futsal versus Malta

Malta, who had beaten Scotland 4-1 the previous afternoon, did not take long to open the scoring against Gibraltar on the second day of Group C matches in Switzerland. Gibraltar started the match with Mifsud in goal, who had only played a few minutes in their match against Switzerland, during which Gibraltar conceded two goals towards the end of the match. The faith shown by the Gibraltar coach was repaid with some good interventions in the minutes immediately after Malta’s goal, allowing Gibraltar some time to find their feet.

Gibraltar's first clear chance came in the fifth minute when a well-chipped ball to the forwards allowed for a one-on-one opportunity, but Ruiz's attempt to lob over the keeper was saved. Just moments later, Malta immediately responded and, earning a freekick, opened up Gibraltar's defense with a short pass to the side, and the subsequent shot squeezed through defenders' feet and past Mifsud.

Mifsud sent Parker on a clever long throw in their next break, surprising the Maltese defense. Although two goals down, Gibraltar momentarily moved confidently forward. However, Rodriguez once again faltered, trying to keep the ball too long and losing possession deep inside their own half, with only Pitaluga's intervention preventing a third goal from Malta.

With eleven minutes still to play, Malta saw the ball go across the goal after a toe poke beat Castle and Mifsud. Gibraltar found themselves on the back foot as Malta piled on the pressure. Long throws by Mifsud to forwards like El Andaloussi caused problems for Malta, although Gibraltar, halfway through the first half, had yet to have a clear shot at goal.

El Andaloussi created the first chance, delivering a good ball for Gomez to strike on the run, but the Maltese keeper was up to the test, blocking with his leg. A shot from Nick Castle forced another save, with the Maltese keeper blocking well and then Mifsud parrying the ball from a subsequent header before collecting it.

A quick change in personnel with seven minutes left in the first half didn’t immediately stop Malta, who forced Mifsud into a good save at the near post. Just moments later, Malta added their third goal, with Alves striking from a pass from a throw-in and powering it into the top corner.

Gibraltar once again found themselves defending deeper to try and keep the scoreline down as they faced the prospect of another big defeat. Some great defending from Ramirez, timing his slide perfectly to prevent a shot in the fifth minute, gave Gibraltar a breather as the first timeout was called.

Malta resumed controlling possession and keeping Gibraltar pinned into their half. Although Gibraltar didn't give away much space, Malta's possession control meant that Gibraltar also had little of the ball, mainly chasing shadows.

Gibraltar earned a freekick on the edge of the D after an unforced infringement by Malta, providing an unexpected opportunity with three minutes left on the clock. However, a shot by Perez was well blocked by the Maltese keeper. Despite making a full rotation of players again, Gibraltar couldn't find their way back into Malta's area. Instead, they defended deep and saw Malta come close to scoring their fourth with a strike going across goal with a minute left on the clock. Gibraltar held on, and although three goals down, they left the door open to try and change their fortunes.

Malta started the second half by scoring within the first thirty seconds. Gibraltar, having attempted to go on the offensive, found themselves backtracking when a pass across the width of the court was only partially blocked, allowing for a shot on goal.

Gibraltar responded with Castle forcing a great save from the Maltese keeper. Once again, Gibraltar, more aggressive offensively, found themselves four goals behind. Ruiz forced another save within a minute, and with four corners earned in a short period, Gibraltar applied offensive pressure, forcing Malta to defend momentarily before going on the offensive.

Castle had to briefly step out after a shoulder barge left him slightly concussed. Some nice passing from Malta sliced open Gibraltar’s defense as Zammit added their fifth goal after five minutes of the second half. Malta soon resumed dominating possession with short pass distribution, keeping Gibraltar pinned into their half.

Perez stole in defense and found Pitaluga, who was impeded by the Maltese goalkeeper, leading to a blocked shot. Gibraltar found themselves on the back foot after a series of minor mistakes in their passing, giving away simple opportunities for Malta to regain possession.

Mifsud tipped over the bar a shot from Camilleri as Malta continued their offensive. As they reached midway through the second half, James Castle controlled well with his chest and turned on his marker before unleashing a low, powerful drive, which went wide past the far post.

Gibraltar's initial aggressive offensive attitude at the start of the second half faded away after conceding two second-half goals and finding themselves watching Malta dominate possession with short passes. Nick Castle tested the Maltese keeper again with a flying save from a thunderous shot, but surprisingly, the Maltese keeper was changed moments later, coincidentally leaving both teams with keepers with the same surnames.

With six minutes to go, play went end-to-end in a matter of seconds, first with Gibraltar defending on their goal line and then setting up for a quick break, which saw Malta’s keeper send the ball for a quick counterattack, resulting in Malta's sixth goal. With confident play, Malta gave little breathing space for Gibraltar before adding a seventh goal from a tightly angled shot.

Gibraltar took a gamble with a flying goalkeeper after a timeout and with still five minutes to play. Rodriguez and Mifsud swapped positions to have the option for a flying goalkeeper. However, the gamble didn't pay off as Malta pressed and intercepted a cross, with Rodriguez taking position forward and Malta grabbing their eighth goal.

A short pass between Castles and El Andaloussi nearly ended in another chance for Malta, luckily without converting. A disciplined defensive display from Malta cancelled out Gibraltar’s persistence in using the flying keeper. Without getting a shot in, it was Malta who came closest to scoring as time ticked away, and Gibraltar were left with three minutes to try and score their first goal in their group matches.

Malta, which had been expected to be one of the more comfortable opponents, proved to be the toughest yet for Gibraltar. Gibraltar were lucky not to concede again as Malta intercepted passes but couldn’t convert. Ramirez got a shot at goal with under a minute left to play but saw the ball hit the side of the net. This was the first shot at goal for Gibraltar since they had introduced the flying keeper.

Gibraltar headed into their third match on Saturday against Scotland knowing that they had already conceded fifteen goals in just two matches without yet scoring themselves.