Birkirkara’s positive run in Europe continues

Birkirkara 1 - Žilina 0

Nikola Vukanac 1' (Birkirkara)

MŠK Žilina created most of the chances during the match, but Birkirkara who were lacking a number of key players protected the one goal lead they had scored in the first minute.

Žilina were surely the dominant side during the match as they had 14 shots on goal and another 12 shots that went wide compared to Birkirkara’s three on target and one wide. But the Žilina attach could not break down Birkirkara’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ezequiel Lovizon.

Birkirkara managed to take the early lead when Shaun Bajada’s freekick was not handled well by Žilina’s goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka and Nikola Vukanac managed to take advantage of the situation and put the ball at the back of the net for the local champions.

The visitors started to pile on the pressure on Birkirkara and on the 12 minute a freekick by Patrik Mráz was just off the post.
The attack continued when on the 32 minute a Tomas Oravec header was brilliantly saved by Lovizon and four minutes later a shot by Thomas Majtan was deflected by the Birkirkara goalie.

Birkirkara came close to doubling the advantage when on the first minute of added time his freekick just went over the visitors’ bar. Just before the end of the first half Majtan missed the target again for the visiting team.

Two minutes into the second half Paul Fenech attemted a lob towards the goal, but the Žilina goalkeeper managed to save it with a bit of difficulty.
The match started to open up when on the 48 minute a shot from Robert Jež was saved. MŠK Žilina kept trying for the away goal when Issiako Bello put the ball just wide after a nice cross from Stefan Zosak. Approximately 10 minutes later Bajada’s freekick was deflected by the Žilina goalkeeper.

Žilina came close again on the 59 minute when Rilke’s cross from the right was deflected by Majtan towards Zosak whose shot was deflected by Lovizon. Žilina continued when Emile Rilke’s powerful shot from inside the box was saved again by the Birkirkara goalkeeper.

68 minute’s into the game Thomas Majtan missed another good opportunity to equalise when he received a good pass in the area and his low shot just went wide off the post. Another shot by Patrik Mraz two minutes later was deflected by Lovizon.

Then in a counter attack, Žilina’s substitute Pavol Poliaček’s shot just missed by the smallest margins.
Time was running out and Žilina continued to pile on the pressure on Birkirkara. A freekick on the 77 minute by Mraz was deflected again, and immediately afterwards a Issiaka Bello effort failed as well. Then it was all Žilina when Stanislav Angelovic and Bello’s effort’s were in vein as well.

Birkirkara held on through the five minutes of extra time, and they go to Žilina with a ever precious one goal advantage.
Seeing how MŠK Žilina attacked through the whole match they were very unfortunate not to get the away goal. Saying this they found a wall in goal for Birkirkara, and if Lovizon does a repeat of his performance again on the 21 July, Birkirkara will secure a dream place in the third round of the Champions League qualifying round.