Dominant Valletta vault into second round
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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FC Lusitans 0-1 Valletta FC (agg: 0-9)
Mark Miller's team followed up their emphatic first-leg win with a slender victory in Andorra to confirm their place in the second qualifying round.
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A slender second-leg win against FC Lusitans ensured a 9-0 aggregate victory for Valletta FC and set up a meeting with FK Partizan in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round.
With an eight-goal advantage heading into the return leg in Andorra, Valletta's progress was all but secured. Jhonnattann, one of the stars of the first leg, earned Mark Miller's side another win with his third goal of the tie 16 minutes in.
It was an impressive strike, too, collecting William Barbosa's deep pass, subtly flicking the ball over Lusitans goalkeeper Ricardo Fernández and heading over the line. The hosts, who had Luis Pinto sent off in added time for a second booking, were seeking their first goal of the tie, but could not muster a response.
Valletta now face Partizan, runners-up to Real Madrid CF in this competition in 1966. The first leg will be held at Ta' Qali Stadium in Malta on 17 July, with the return in Belgrade a week later.
