NAXXAR, Malta (Interstat) — Naxxar scored twice inside the opening 17 minutes and held off Gudja for a 2-1 victory on Sunday in a global football match. The home side scored in the fourth minute and added a second in the 17th, building a two-goal advantage. Gudja cut the deficit with a goal in the 47th minute, but Naxxar protected its lead for the remainder of the contest. The visitors could not find an equalizer, and Naxxar closed out the win. The home side never trailed after taking the early lead.

The scoring sequence gave Naxxar control from the start. The fourth-minute goal put the home side ahead, and the 17th-minute goal made the lead 2-0 before halftime. Gudja’s 47th-minute strike reduced the margin to one, but the match produced no further goals. Naxxar’s defense protected the one-goal advantage through the closing stages. The home side managed the final phase with the lead intact, and Gudja could not produce a second response.

Naxxar’s season record in this competition is now 3 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. Across all competitions, Naxxar is now 4 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. Gudja’s season record in this competition is now 0 wins and 4 losses. Across all competitions, Gudja is also 0 wins and 4 losses. Naxxar remains unbeaten in the competition, while Gudja is still without a win. The result gave Naxxar another home victory and left Gudja searching for its first positive result.

Gudja’s previous results in the competition this season were losses to Fgura, Zurrieq and Saint Andrews. The visitors entered the match after those defeats and could not change their fortunes against Naxxar. Gudja’s goal in the 47th minute gave the visitors a brief route back into the match, but Naxxar’s two-goal start provided enough separation. Naxxar’s home win added to a competition record that remains without a loss. The match was decided by the early goals and Gudja’s inability to add a second equalizer. Gudja’s fourth competition loss followed its earlier setbacks and extended the visitors’ difficult start.

Naxxar’s start to the match proved decisive. The home team scored in the fourth minute and again in the 17th, and it carried that cushion into the second half. Gudja’s goal in the 47th minute made the final phase more competitive, but Naxxar did not concede again. The home side finished the match with the lead it had built in the opening quarter-hour. The result kept Naxxar’s competition record clean and extended Gudja’s difficult run. Naxxar’s two first-half goals came before Gudja’s first goal, and the visitors never leveled the score. The final whistle came with Naxxar ahead by one goal.

The result left Naxxar with a competition record of 3 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. Gudja’s competition record stands at 0 wins and 4 losses. In all competitions, Naxxar is 4-1-1, while Gudja is 0-4. Naxxar’s home victory added to a season that has produced four wins, one loss and one draw overall. Gudja’s fourth loss in the competition kept the visitors without a win in the competition and across all competitions. The final scoreline reflected the three goals recorded in the match, with Naxxar scoring in the fourth and 17th minutes and Gudja scoring in the 47th.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Naxxar 2, Gudja 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Naxxar with a 67 percent probability to win. Naxxar had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score was 3, against an over-under line of 3.5.