Under-16: San Marino beat Malta and win the Development Tournament

San Marino’s Under-16 National Team win their second match as well and secure the Development Tournament title in Malta with a game to spare. Matchday two pitted the young Titans against the hosts. It was also a sort of head-to-head clash, as both sides had won their opening fixture. Bonesso’s team start on the front foot but run a couple of risks on Maltese breaks. In any case, the attitude is the right one and it pays off in the 8th minute, when Mazza’s free-kick is blocked by the wall and the loose ball is met by Prendi, who rifles it into the net with a fine strike from outside the box. Malta reply in turn with a free-kick: Grixti directs his effort well, but Ryan Michelotti is alert and safely behind it. The same Grixti, on 24 minutes, will be crucial for his side at the back: Montebelli sends Mazza through on goal, but his shot is intercepted by the home side’s no. 15. After the half-hour mark, San Marino double their lead thanks to the combination between Ryan Michelotti and Aureli, who takes advantage of a poor reading of the flight of the ball by a defender on the goalkeeper’s long kick (he is effectively caught under it) to race into the penalty area and beat Mulholland with a very precise finish.

The second half begins with no changes for San Marino – unlike Malta. The hosts immediately push hard, determined to reduce the deficit, but the first real chance of the half falls to the men in white and blue: on the counter, Mazza releases Aureli, whose effort goes over the bar. At the other end, Ryan Michelotti is again up to the task on a couple of Maltese moves, especially on a well-placed shot by Gianni Zerafa. Around the hour mark, Bonesso turns to his bench for the first time, bringing on Frulli, Baggiarini and Mattia Ceccoli all at once. Malta do not give up on their intention to get back into the game. Michelotti has to intervene again to keep out Aquilina’s header from a Grixti cross. And on 68 minutes the crossbar comes to the Titans’ rescue on Roe’s powerful strike from distance. In the 75th minute the hosts’ efforts are finally rewarded thanks to Vella’s tight-angled finish. After the introductions of Frisoni and Angelini, Malta even go close to an equaliser: it takes a superb save from Ryan Michelotti to deny Roe a personal joy, after he had been picked out by Vella. In the closing stages Malta desperately step up the tempo in an attempt to make it 2-2. San Marino defend tooth and nail, also drawing on the fresh legs of Achilli. But they cannot prevent a penalty being awarded in stoppage time to the hosts. Wright steps up and goes to the goalkeeper’s left; but Ryan Michelotti guesses right as well, getting his hands – once again – on a victory that allows the Titans to keep a perfect record and celebrate the tournament win with one matchday still to play. In the day’s other game, Andorra beat Gibraltar 4-0, with Gibraltar set to face San Marino on Monday morning. Andorra and Malta will meet on the final matchday, but as both have lost to Bonesso’s side, they can no longer hope to overtake them.

UEFA Development Tournament, Malta 2026 – Matchday 2 | Malta – San Marino 1-2

MALTA

Mulholland, L. Gatt (77’ Buttigieg), Hili (46’ Busuttil), Stevanovic (62’ Vella), Roe, Higgans (62’ Wright), Galea (62’ Cristauro), Agius (46’ Mangion), Grixti, Farrugia (62’ Aquilina), G. Zerafa (77’ C. Zerafa)

Substitutes: D. Gatt

Coach: Davide Mazzotta

SAN MARINO

Michelotti, Mattei, Montali, Cola, Piergiacomi (59’ Frulli), Prendi, A. Ceccoli (59’ M. Ceccoli), Monaldi (59’ Baggiarini), Montebelli (86’ Achilli), Mazza (78’ Frisoni), Aureli (78’ Angelini)

Substitutes: Della Valle, Berardinelli

Coach: Alessandro Loris Bonesso

Referee: Matteo Falzon (MLT)

Assistant referees: Steve Baldacchino (MLT), Matthias Buttigieg (MLT)

Booked: Grixti, Mazza, Wright

Scorers: 8’ Prendi, 32’ Aureli, 75’ Vella

Note: on 90+5’ R. Michelotti saved a penalty from Wright