Andorra vs Malta

Estadi Nacional forms the backdrop for a clash between UEFA Nations League D underachievers Andorra and Malta.

Andorra embark on their fourth consecutive League D campaign with a genuine ambition to break into the third tier for the first time after coming agonizingly close in the previous iteration. Despite accruing eight points from six matches (W2, D2, L2) after two straight winless campaigns, the Iberian minnows had to settle for a third-place finish in their group in 2022/23. Ominously, one of the two nations to outrank them at that time was Moldova, a side they will face during the next international window. Therefore, a winning start against Malta will be crucial, especially with Andorra better placed than their visitors in FIFA’s men’s ranking. However, Koldo Alvarez’s team cannot afford to take this match-up lightly, considering they haven’t won a match since November 2022 (D4, L4).

Andorra’s troubled spell of form might inspire confidence among Malta’s camp as they hope to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Moldova in their opening Group D2 fixture. An underwhelming result in Moldova stretched Malta’s losing streak to three matches, with the Reds conceding 11 goals in that sequence while scoring just one in return. That’s not remotely the end of Malta’s problems ahead of this trip, as Michele Marcoli’s men are winless in their last nine internationals (D2, L7) since squeaking past Gibraltar 1-0 in a friendly a year ago. On a more positive note, they’ve fared reasonably well in this competition, racking up three clean sheets across their last five Nations League away outings (W2, D1, L2), including a scoreless draw against upcoming rivals Andorra.