We’re back with the final international break of 2023 as we continue down the road to UEFA Euro 2024. It’s safe to say that things are really starting to heat up in pretty much every group as nations qualify and make their push to reach the playoffs. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be an intriguing battle between England and Malta.
England Form GuideEngland fans are desperate to get their hands on a piece of silverware and after falling short at the World Cup, they’ll hope they can get the job done when they head to Germany next summer - but the Three Lions often seem cursed at the elite level. Gareth Southgate is being given the chance to lead them forward once again but if they can’t pull it off this time, serious questions will need to be asked.
In their second straight friendly matchup, England went head to head with Australia and walked away with a 1-0 victory. From there, they played host to Italy, and they got a measure of revenge for the Euro 2020 final with a nice 3-1 victory.
Malta Form GuideThey are one of the smallest countries in the world by area, they’ve never qualified for a major competition, and they are widely recognised as the whipping boys whenever they are in a qualifying group. That tends to be the mission statement and status quo for Malta and while that may seem sad, the last twelve months have seen them make some genuinely encouraging progress.
Malta were unable to really get going in their visit to Italy, and they wound up on the wrong end of a 4-0 battering. A few days later, they played host to Ukraine, and they fell to a 3-1 loss in what was actually a pretty competitive game.
Match PredictionMalta are a really interesting team to watch and we think they’ll have a real sense of purpose in this game. Unfortunately for them, we aren’t so sure it’s going to mean much by the time we reach the full time whistle, which is why we’re going to back an England win.