The Malta national team suffered a heartbreaking loss against Russia tonight, in the first of its 2022 World Cup qualifying matches.

Malta put on a valiant effort, showing glimpses of promises in its defeat, topped off by a brilliant goal by forward Joseph Mbong in the 56th minute.

 

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However, the Russian side took advantage of a number of early mistakes by the defence, scoring two goals in the first half, the first by Artem Dzyubain the 23rd minute and the second by Mário Fernandes in the 35th minute.

Russia also managed to sneak in a last-minute goal with Aleksandr Sobolev taking advantage of a botched goal kick in the 89th minute.

The end result didn’t reflect the full 90 minutes on the pitch for the Maltese side, which rattled the Russian defence on a number of occasions, ending the game with a total of five shots on target, one more than their opponents.

The defeat also marks the end of  Malta’s historic seven-game undefeated streak.

The Malta national team will continue its 2020 World Cup qualifying matches abroad with games against Slovakia on the 27th and Croatia on the 30th.

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