The Malta Under-21 National Team will return to action on Saturday evening as they take on Northern Ireland in their latest 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier at the Centenary Stadium.

Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00hrs, with Coach Davide Mazzotta’s side set to begin a crucial period which will see them play three matches during the September-October international window, with Germany and Latvia to follow.

Having recently confirmed his final 24-player squad for the upcoming fixtures, Mazzotta has been pleased with the commitment shown by all of his players during the build-up to Saturday’s encounter, while also insisting that there is always room for further improvement.

Speaking on MD-1, Mazzotta remarked: “I wish to underline my satisfaction with the players’ passion and availability throughout the competition. They have been truly great from that perspective.”

“However, by nature, I’m never totally satisfied because I always believe that we can do that little bit more. I expect this from myself and then also for my players, even if this may not always be achievable, especially with most of the players’ limited playing time,” he continued.

Mazzotta has identified three key qualities that he wants his players to demonstrate against a Northern Ireland side that he describes as a very strong and physical opponent.

“We are focused on three aspects: self-confidence, courage and determination,” he explained. “Our opponents are very physical and accustomed to playing a physical game. From our end, we do not wish to concede the initiative to them and thus we have to stand up to their style of play.”

With Northern Ireland currently occupying third place in Group F, Mazzotta expects a demanding encounter and believes his players will need to show resilience throughout the match.

“We will have to do everything possible to deliver a positive result. We will have to be armed for battle and to never give up irrespective of the difficulties we may encounter during the match,” he added.

The Malta U21 National Team coach is also keen to ensure that his players remain fully focused on the task at hand, with the upcoming fixtures against Germany and Latvia not entering their thoughts before Saturday’s match is concluded.

“We are totally concentrated on Northern Ireland. We are focused only on them right now. We know them well and they know us,” he added.

“We know that we are facing a very strong team. Nonetheless, I’m convinced that if we give our all, carry out the game plan and avoid certain unnecessary mistakes, we will be in a position to deliver a very valid performance and hopefully also a positive result.”

Mazzotta also stressed the importance of representing the national team with pride, with the Malta U21 coach determined to see his players give everything for the Maltese shirt.

“It is our duty to honour the Maltese shirt to the full and for me this is extremely important,” he said.

“I wish to help and encourage my boys in all possible ways to deliver a battling performance which hopefully would be crowned with an honourable result.”

Saturday’s match will be Malta’s first of three encounters during the current international window, with Germany visiting the Centenary Stadium on Wednesday 30 September before the qualifying campaign concludes away to Latvia on 6 October.

For Mazzotta, however, the immediate focus remains firmly on Northern Ireland.

“It is the last international window of the 2025-26 cycle, and we have to do our absolute utmost to perform well,” he said.

The Malta U21 coach also took the opportunity to highlight the recent success of the senior national team, following their victory in Andorra, hoping that the result can provide further inspiration to his young players.

“I wish to also take the opportunity to highlight and congratulate the senior team for the very important win obtained in Andorra, which I hope will be of inspiration to my team for these matches,” Mazzotta said.

“Everything depends on us and on our motivations – if they are stronger than those of our opponents, we may possibly achieve our aspirations,” he concluded.

The Malta U21 National Team’s match against Northern Ireland kicks off at 19:00hrs at the Centenary Stadium on Saturday 26 September. Tickets for the match are available here. The match will also be broadcast live on TVMSport+.