After the euphoric 3-0 victory over Cyprus and the solid performance against Euro 2020 participants Russia, there was a lot of hope for Malta to stage a strong display against Slovenia.
After all, Slovenia needed a penalty to defeat Malta in the first meeting between the two countries in Maribor.
However, Malta succumbed to a 4-0 defeat which resulted in the biggest loss under the guidance of Italian coach Devis Mangia.
Most probably, such a defeat arrived against an unexpected opponent given that Malta has drawn Croatia and Russia in their World Cup qualification group.
In the build-up to this game, a lot was said about Malta having a good chance to record its second victory in this group against a team that on paper is not considered a powerhouse.