There has never been so much pressure on the Malta men’s national team to deliver in an international tournament.
The new edition of the UEFA Nations League has brought with it a huge amount of optimism and expectations on the group of Maltese players and their coach Devis Mangia.
The draw for this group was considered a favourable one for Malta as they were pitted against San Marino, who never won a game at competitive level, and 110th-ranked Estonia who have ushered into a new era under coach Tomas Haberli after he took over in January 2021 and chalked up seven positive results in 14 outings.
Starting with a win was important for Malta to live up to the expectations. The 2-0 victory, Malta’s 10th ever at competitive level, provides more tranquillity to the team ahead of the crucial home clash against Estonia.