Marsa-Shlock completed a comeback against Valletta to win 2:1 in the Premier League's regular season third round on Thursday evening. The result moves the visitors to second place on seven points, while Valletta remain fourth with six points after three matches.
Valletta took control early on. U. Arias opened the scoring in the 11th minute and doubled the home side's advantage before the break with a second goal in the 41st minute. The visitors did not respond until the 85th minute when R. Prsa found the net to complete the turnaround.
Valletta controlled the tempo for much of the first half and kept the ball well, but the momentum shifted after the interval. Marsa-Shlock made changes at the break and gradually tightened their shape. By then the home side had dropped deeper and struggled to find a way through the visitors' defence.
Valletta registered 125 attacks and 56 per cent possession, yet only three shots found the target. Marsa-Shlock managed just 82 attacks and two shots on target, but converted their moment. The statistics suggest Valletta had the chances, but the visitors found a way through when it mattered.
Both sides received three yellow cards each, with the last booking coming in stoppage time. Valletta saw substitutions at 56, 63, 70, and 90 minutes, while Marsa-Shlock brought on three players between 56 and 80 minutes.