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After the top game against England, from which the supposed group winners probably already emerged, it is now up to the Azzurri to make it clear to the other participants in group C that second place belongs to the reigning European champions. The reigning European champions started with a narrow 1-2 defeat against the English team, which was a not a pleasant affair. The Three Lions were clearly frustrated because the Azzurri's messed up their home European Championship and beat them at the final. The fact is, however, that a loss bring fuel to the hopes of the Ukrainians and North Macedonians for the second place. The upcoming opponents may only be in 167th place in the FIFA world rankings, but the men from the rocky Mediterranean island are no longer a national team of postmen and police officers. Admittedly, with the exception of superstar Teddy Teuma, the bulk of the Maltese squad is under contract with a club in the domestic league. Nevertheless, the underdog plays much better football than some other years. Since the beginning of 2022, Malta have not lost any of their 11 international matches by more than one goal.