Malta denied an away win in their opening World Cup 2026 qualifier away to Lithuania.
In a mostly scrappy affair, it was Malta who created the better chances and when Sateriano fired them in front in 83rd minute, it looked as though they were on their way to a memorable win.
That changed when substitute Azzopardi was red-carded in the 90 minute, minutes after coming on. The red card looked harsh as Azzopardi got the ball only for his foot to roll off the ball and make contact with the Lithuanian defender. The referee was called to the pitch-side monitor and after a long look at the screen produced the red card.
It got worse for Malta as Lithuania were awarded a penalty late in extra time. Again, it looked a controversial decision. Bonello got his hand to Geneitis’s spot-kick but just could keep the ball out.
1-1 the result.
Photo MFA
