Maltese fans are not too surprised that “Hamrun Spartans” lost to “Dynamo” (0:3) in the first match of the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League, except that the final score seemed unfair, in their opinion.
The fans of “Hamrun Spartans” write that their team could have played better if they had taken advantage of their moments, but the not high enough level of the players was evident. Against the backdrop of the Maltese, “Dynamo” looked like a top club of a completely different level, and they would still have won and moved on to the next round. The Maltese understand that everything has already been decided in this confrontation, and their club has lost the chance to advance to the next round because “Dynamo” is not “Zalgiris”.
Photo — fcdynamo.comĠanni Borg: I am shocked... 0:3 is not just a defeat. It is a confirmation that “Dynamo” is a giant of European football, and we are just passersby at this level. We can only hope that we can at least reach the Conference League.
Antnin Vella: Few have a chance of final success when they meet “Dynamo.” This is not just a team - it’s a level that is unattainable for us and one that we should aspire to.
Pawlu: It is not that “Hamrun” is a weak team, but “Dynamo” is a strong opponent against whom we had no chances. “Hamrun” tried and even started this match quite well, but the forces were unequal.
Valent Galea: 3:0 is a clear message: “Dynamo” is not just better, they studied us and crushed us. This is no longer an opponent that can be defeated simply by desire and motivation.
Filippu Grech: This is what European-level class means. We looked like a team of amateurs against professionals. “Dynamo” can easily aim for advancing to the group stage.
Tumas Micallef: There were neither chances nor inspiration. To beat such an opponent, it’s not enough to just believe in success; you need to be able to play football at a high level. Unfortunately, that’s not about our club.
Marju Attard: It’s sad to see our dreams shatter so quickly. “Dynamo” is a beast in qualification. I don’t think the Ukrainians will have problems advancing to the group stage.
Grech: We believed in our style, but they simply broke our game like a strong wind breaks a branch. We needed to score at the beginning of the game; then there would have been some chance for a draw or a victory.
Zammit: I expected a struggle and was sure that the match would end in a draw or with minimal victory for our opponents from Ukraine. Unfortunately, we played poorly again. How can you prepare for a match at this level?
Xand: “Dynamo” is not just a team - it’s a stable participant in European competitions. All we can do is envy their high level of play and keep dreaming.
Mikiel: I respect every player of “Hamrun.” But today they looked like students against professors. They simply showed how to win without putting in much effort.
Salvu Vella: A 3:0 victory for “Dynamo”? It could have been worse. There was a feeling that the opponent caught us by surprise and could have scored significantly more goals if this were not their first official match of the season.
Azzopardi: Our country was proud of the team and believed in success against “Dynamo,” but the reality turned out to be far from as rosy as we would have liked. We respect our footballers, but watching this was very painful.
Ġużè: It was painful to lose at home with such a score, but it corresponds to our team’s level. You cannot play so uncertainly against such an opponent; we made too many mistakes in defense.
Micallef: This will be a lesson not only for the players but also for the fans: big clubs do not look at us with respect — they look down from a high level, and we feel this from the first minutes.
Ninu: This is not a tragedy, but a reality. You might think that a family sedan drives faster than a sports car, but it’s just your fantasies. At the very first traffic light, it will zoom far ahead. The same is true in football. We are just not at the level to compete on equal terms with “Dynamo.”
Carelli: A loss without excuses. Just the higher class of the opponent. I can’t say that the Ukrainians impressed me with their game, but they did enough to crush us without problems and guarantee themselves a place in the next round.
Pace: “Dynamo” left us with nothing — no chance, no reason for pride. Only disappointment and awareness of the level at which Maltese club football actually stands right now.
Maranu: They looked like an experienced and confident team. All the players acted confidently on the field and did not give our team a chance to turn the course of the match — like a tank against a moped. A loss to such an opponent was inevitable.
Farrugia: It’s painful, but predictable. Many thought for some reason that if we beat “Zalgiris,” we could beat “Dynamo” too. Big clubs play differently. We need to accept this and continue working on ourselves to play better.
Luca Vella: It’s too early to cry, but 0:3 is the scale of the defeat that’s hard to accept with dignity. This is not the end of the road, but we found ourselves face to face with an opponent of a different level. And that level is called “Dynamo.”
Dmytro Malyanov
