Two months after Spain clinched their fifth U-21 European Championship title, following a 2-1 defeat of Germany in the final, the Malta youngsters will open their qualifying campaign for the 2021 tournament in Northern Ireland, tonight at The Showground Stadium in Ballymena (kick-off: 20.30).

Apart from Northern Ireland, Malta were drawn also against Ukraine, who they face on Tuesday, Finland, Denmark and Romania, the latter two among the finalists of this year’s championship finals in Italy.

During the past qualifying campaign, Malta had to wait until the final two matches of the group stage to break their duck in the group, collecting four points following a 2-1 win over Hungary and a 1-1 draw against Cyprus. 

While it will be difficult for Silvio Vella’s boys to emulate the 2017 team who had amassed a record 11-point tally, the Malta youngsters are still striving to start the upcoming campaign on a positive note.

The match is being played in a venue that evokes great memories for Maltese football when way back in 1984, Ħamrun Spartans became the first team to chalk up a win on foreign soil in a UEFA club competition when they beat Ballymena 2-1 on their way to knocking out the Northern Irish side from the Champions Cup.

Among the young talents on whom coach Vella will be banking on in the upcoming qualifying campaign is midfielder Jan Busuttil, who this summer left Pietà Hotspurs to join Floriana. 

Video: Matthew Mirabelli

The 20-year-old is confident that he and his team-mates will be able to showcase their talent against Northern Ireland. 

“We are looking forward to open this European qualfying campaign on a positive note,” Busuttil told Times of Malta.

“European qualifiers are always important and we have been preparing for so long in order to arrive in the best possible shape ahead of this double-header.

“We are determined to pick up points from both matches but at the same time we are aware that away trips always prove tough due to several factors including weather conditions.”

Northern Ireland, who have never made it to the finals of the U-21 tournament, have called up various players who are on the books of some of the best clubs in the United Kingdom including Celtic and Manchester United.

Asked about what challenges they will be bracing themselves up  for against Northern Ireland, Busuttil was adamant that they needed to step up their game by several notches to get a good result.

“Personally, I feel that the level of the Maltese Premier League is of a good quality but we always have to roll up our sleeves and step up our game when playing on the continent,” the Floriana midfielder, who is looking to collect his sixth cap for Malta U-21, said.

“In these games, we face players who are on the brink of breaking through some of the best teams in Europe and this is their stage to showcase their talent.

“The same counts for us as we too want to show that we are able to be competitive against other fellow European countries.”

Greens debut

After emerging on the big stage last season, Busuttil made the big step this summer when he swapped Pietà Hotspurs for Floriana.

The Greens have been very active in this summer’s transfer market as they look to restore themselves among the elite clubs in the country and challenge for the top domestic honours. It’s no surprise that the Malta U-21 midfielder is eager to help his club reach this goal. 

“I am very happy for how we started this championship, with two wins in two games,” Busuttil, who made his Floriana debut in the 1-0 win over Balzan, said.

“Obviously, it was a big step for me to join Floriana but I am confident that I can continue to grow as I fully trust their technical project.”

Group 8

Playing today: 17.30 Ukraine vs Finland; 20.30 N. Ireland vs Malta.

Tuesday: 17.30 Ukraine vs Malta; 18.00 Finland vs N. Ireland; 18.30 Denmark vs Romania.

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