Both Maltese teams, Hamrun SC and Sliema Beach Soccer, recorded important victories in their respective classification matches at the European competitions currently being held in Nazaré, Portugal.

Sliema Beach Soccer made history by becoming the first Maltese team to win a match in the Euro Winners Cup after defeating BSC Hobby 6-5 in a thrilling encounter.

The Sliema side got off to the perfect start, opening a two-goal lead in the first period. Makutunovičius put Sliema ahead after seven minutes of play before Schembri doubled the advantage shortly afterwards.

In the second period, Makutunovičius found the net again to make it 3-0. However, BSC Hobby refused to give up, with Langhoff scoring twice in quick succession to reduce the deficit to just one goal.

The final period proved to be one of the most entertaining of the tournament. Makutunovičius restored Sliema’s two-goal cushion at 4-2, but Langhoff responded immediately. The same player then levelled the score at 4-4, setting up a dramatic finish.

With the pressure mounting, Schembri scored Sliema’s fifth goal, while Makutunovičius capped an outstanding individual display by netting his fourth goal of the match to make it 6-4. Langhoff converted a late penalty to reduce the deficit to 6-5, but Sliema held firm until the final whistle to secure a historic victory.

Meanwhile, in the Euro Winners Challenge classification match for places five to eight, Hamrun SC earned a dramatic 6-5 victory over French side Mouilleron Sport Football BS.

William was the star performer for Hamrun, scoring four goals, while Almeida and Edinho added one goal each. For Mouilleron Sport Football BS, Billet scored four goals, with Gaboriau adding the other.

Hamrun SC will now play their final classification match today at 11:30am against Keffalinia AO BS as they look to finish their campaign on a high note.