West Ham will need to be wary when they kick-off against FC Birkirkara, with the second leg taking place this Thursday. The job is only half done, and the tie is far from over. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Slaven Bilic’s side struggled in the opening exchanges at Upton Park; in fact it was quite the opposite. The Hammers dominated with 74% possession, but the striker deficiency cost them as Modibo Maiga was wasteful up front, with the majority of the chances that the team created going to waste. With Diafra Sakho suspended and Andy Carroll not recovering from injury anytime soon, the Irons should be cautious in seeing the Europa League second leg through.
The East London club can count themselves lucky, as a last minute mistake by the opposition goalkeeper Justin Haber gifted James Tomkins with a goal. This was most likely conceded by the Maltese outfit as a result of fatigue and a lack of concentration, so we should not be counting on these sorts of situations to save us again. Haber was brilliant in between the sticks, with Tomkins’ effort the only one of seven shots on target to beat him, and thus strike the back of the net. In the first half, a Maiga header was prevented by a world class save, and Haber will most likely be on top form again. Furthermore, those seven efforts accounted for just half of the attempts on goal in the game; 14. So, whatever offensive duties Bilic deploys, precision will need to be key in increasing the aggregate lead.
Birkirkara also have a fabulous asset off the field of play. Their manager, Giovanni Tedesco, is charismatic and was extremely passionate on the touchline in the first leg at the Boleyn Ground. The 43-year-old Italian man appeared to provide his eleven men with high levels of encouragement from the dugout, which contributed to Malta’s third best team holding their own for 89 minutes. His aggressive approach to the game has to be accounted for, especially as it was seconds away from paying off. A highly experienced footballer in Serie A with the likes of Palermo and Fiorentina, Tedesco has a wealth of knowledge under his belt that he will look to successfully command his troops with.
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Bilic must be alert that Tedesco’s team will be on the front foot when the two sides meet at the Taqali National Stadium, with Birkirkara needing to score otherwise they will face elimination. Unlike Andorran club Lusitans in the previous qualifying round, the upcoming opponents do pose a real threat on the counter. Liliu almost stunned the home crowd last week, as his shot was wide by a whisker at Adrian’s far post. The Brazilian winger has 14 goals in 21 games, so he is not to be given space. Former Italian international forward Fabrizio Miccoli leads the line, and although he perhaps lacks the speed and agility needed to question the West Ham defence, he does have some brilliant touches within his 36-year-old locker.
Although this has sounded like a rather downbeat preview of the away leg, most fans would agree that it would be better to be safe than sorry. Birkirkara should not be taken for granted, and West Ham should have learnt a lot from the first game. They did not win the 2014 Maltese FA Cup by luck, and they play well as a team. Bilic needs to remain calm and composed, and as long as we professionally get the job done, then there is nothing to be worried about. For sure, the Maltese crowd will be a hindrance. However, having not conceded a single goal in nearly 300 minutes of Europa League football, we should have the confidence to reach the next stage of the tournament.
