Malta has been drawn in group G of the World Cup qualifiers which is already underway. Matchday 1 and 2 has come and gone and it hasn’t turned out to be the perfect start. The team has already lost to Poland and Finland, with a negative goal difference of 3, failing to score in both cases. As another round of games for the World Cup qualifiers draws closer, much is expected from the team. Making it to the World Cup finals seems like an unattainable feat, especially with their rankings in world football. Malta is currently ranked 169th in the world, making them the lowest-ranked team in their group. Taking this into consideration makes qualification far more difficult. 

Group G of the World Cup Qualifiers which Malta is part of comprises 5 teams. The remaining teams are Lithuania, Netherlands, Finland and Poland. To earn a spot at the World Cup Finals, Malta must finish top of the table, or close the group in second position to go into the playoffs stage. Making it through the playoffs seems like a near-impossible task, and at tonybet sportsbook, bettors can cast their die on the fate of the Malta Senior National Team. To make it, the team will have to go through hell and high water to pull that feat off. 

How Malta Will Fare Against Other Nations in Their Group

The chances of Malta making it as we’ve said earlier are slim, mainly due to the strength of their opponents. Malta is in the same group as some of the top footballing countries in Europe. The countries in Group G are Malta, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, and the Netherlands. Malta will have to play each team home and away making it a total of 8 games. Out of the 8 games, two have ended in defeat against one of the lower-ranked teams. So let’s look at how Malta will fare against these teams. 

Malta Vs Poland

The away game of this match has come and gone, with the Malta national team taking a trip to Warsaw, Poland. De Leo fielded a strong team but was unable to penetrate the Polish defense. Two goals from Polish forward Karol Swiderski saw the team succumb to a two-nil defeat. The return league is a must-win for Malta, and home advantage is on their side. If things go right, the team should be able to end up with a win or draw and take some much needed points. 

Malta vs Finland

Finland is one of the lower-ranked teams in the group, so many would have been hoping Malta would be able to score some points. However, things didn’t go as planned at the Ta’Qali National Stadium, as the game ended in a home defeat. A return trip to Finland might prove difficult when it comes to point scoring. So the team must go all out to end up with something. 

Malta vs Netherlands 

The Dutch team is ranked 6th in the world, and they are also a well drilled side. Therefore, it would be quite difficult to take points off this Dutch side. The likes of Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay would be hoping to pile on the pressure on our defense line. Our best hope is to put out a more defensive-minded side in the home game and end up with a draw. The backing of the home supporters might just be the fuel needed to push for a draw. A draw against the Netherlands is definitely a good result, and will greatly boost the morale of the team. 

Malta vs Lithuania 

Lithuania is ranked 143rd in the world, so on paper, this looks like a much even tie. There are high chances that Malta will score crucial points in both home and away games. The last four meetings between the two nations have ended up in 2 defeats, a win, and a draw for Malta. This is the second time in which Malta will share the same World Cup qualification group with Malta. The two teams shared the same group in qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with the home and away matches ending up in a draw and a defeat respectively.