Hibernians and Birkirkara are bracing themselves for a hard-fought tactical battle when the two big guns will go head-to-head at the National Stadium as the 360 Sports Malta Premier resumes after a two-week international break.
At present, Birkirkara and Hibernians are among four teams leading the way on four points along with Ħamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers.
Today’s clash brings against each other two coaches who know each other very well as Branko Nisevic, the Hibernians coach, and Birkirkara’s Stefano De Angelis worked together at Ħamrun Spartans during the 2021-22 season.
Together they helped the Reds to an historic Play Off spot in the UEFA Conference League as well as winning the Premier League title with a record 16-point margin.
This evening, Nisevic and De Angelis will be facing each other from separate dug-outs and both coaches are relishing this opportunity.
“Stefano De Angelis is a great friend with whom I shared some great moments at Ħamrun Spartans, so to be facing him in a league match is a bit awkward but at the same time represents a great challenge,” Nisevic told a news conference.
“Right from the first day we started to work together at Ħamrun Spartans we had a great time together and we shared a common language in football. Our partnership turned out to be very successful but more importantly we have become very good friends.
“I am not surprised that he is doing so well at Birkirkara as he is great tactician. Since he took charge of the team, he effected a few changes and Birkirkara are playing differently. They are a more compact side, and all players are ready to make a lot of sacrifices during the match.
“In three matches they have scored six goals with Maxuell Maia proving that he is back to his best as he netted three goals so they will surely be a tough test for us.”
On his part, De Angelis described Nisevic as a ‘brother’ and one of the best coaches in Maltese football and has warned his players that they need to be at their best if they are to maintain their unbeaten start in the 360 Sports Malta Premier.
“Branko Nisevic is like a brother to me so it will be special to face him in a Premier League match,” De Angelis said.
“For me, he is undoubtedly one of the best coaches on the island, mirrored by the performances of Hibernians this season.
“I think they are the best team when with the ball in their feet as they manage to record 70 or 80 per cent possession during matches. We both know each other’s football philosophy so well, therefore, I believe that the match could be decided by one moment of brilliance from a single player.
“But I have no doubt it’s going to be a really fascinating tactical battle, and we need to face the match as if it was a final. One area we need to focus on is to improve our possession play and make sure we make good use of the ball, or else Hibs will punish us.”
Jurgen Degabriele, the Hibernians striker, has struggled to show his best scoring instincts in the past months due to injuries and inconsistent form. Inevitably, that has seen him lose his place with the national team as he was left out of the 23-man squad that faced Moldova and Andorra in the past two weeks.
The Hibernians forward said that he has a lot of fire in his belly to prove his doubters wrong and is determined to rediscover his best form for his club.
“The past few months have been quite difficult for me,” Degabriele said.
“Last season was not a very positive one for me due to injuries and loss in form. But I am determined to fight back and prove all those who doubt my talent. This season I started well but then I had a couple of niggling injuries that forced out of the team. Being out of the national team is something that I can’t be happy about but all I can do is to work even harder to become a better player.
“I am very motivated and working very hard to regain my place in the team and more importantly show that I can still reach the levels of performance that established me as one of the best forwards in our country.”
Kurt Zammit, the Birkirkara captain, said that he has been impressed by the work carried out by new coach Stefano De Angelis and believes the Stripes have a solid foundation to aspire for challenging for many honours for years to come.
“I am very happy with the work that has been done by the club and the new coach this season as the team is showing a lot of promise,” Zammit said.
“In the off-season, the club decided to make wholesale changes in the squad after a very disappointing campaign and we only kept two foreigners from last season while the bulk of the Maltese players remained here.
“There is great unity in the team and that is mirrored on the pitch as everyone is working his socks out for each other.
“On a personal note, my defensive role has changed a lot over the years as from an offensive wing back my work with a number of Italian coaches helped me to develop the defensive side of my game. Today, I can play as a full back and also a centre back in a three-man defence, which is the system our coach is playing this season.
“But there is a great quality in our squad and I am confident that we have great potential to do well and hopefully we can challenge for major honours.”
