Leaders Birkirkara have their eyes firmly set on landing another major psychological blow on their rivals as they seek a crucial victory over champions Ħamrun Spartans in this weekend’s top clash at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on Saturday evening (kick-off: 6pm).
The Stripes have been the most in-form side of the division this season as Stefano De Angelis’s side are currently leading the way on 19 points, four clear of nearest rivals Floriana and hold a crucial 11-point margin on seventh-place side Balzan.
With just four matches to go until the end of the first round, Birkirkara are aware that victory over the Spartans on Saturday will see them achieve their first goal of the season, clinching a top-six berth with weeks to spare from the start of the second phase.
“This is a very important match for us,” De Angelis told a news conference.
“There is a great rivalry between the two clubs and for us this is a great challenge as we are facing the Malta champions.
“In terms of our goals for this season, on Saturday we can attain our first objective for the season as a win against Ħamrun will give us certainty of a top-six place.
“It’s important that the team continues to adopt the same approach it had since the start of the season. We know that we are facing a very strong team and nothing less than 100 per cent from every member of our squad will be needed if we are to prevail in this match.
“I’m particularly happy with our defensive record as after conceding three goals in the first match, we managed six successive clean sheets which inevitably helped us to go on a six-match winning streak.
“But it’s important not to rest on our laurels and expect all the players on the pitch, including the forwards and midfielders to work really hard and stren-gthen our defensive line as we did in the past matches.”
De Angelis had words of comfort for his counterpart Alessandro Zinnari who for the majority of the first part of the season has been without his regular defensive partnership of Steve Borg and Emerson Marcelina who are out injured.
“It’s not easy for any team to play so many matches without two very experienced defenders such as Emerson Marcelina and Steve Borg,” De Angelis said.
“Ħamrun may be coming from a difficult start to the season but they remain a very dangerous team who are capable of beating any side, so we need to be ready.
“We have to remember that every game has its own story and all that we have achieved so far means nothing when the game starts. So it’s important to be 100 per cent focused on the challenge we have at hand.”
On his part, Alexander Satariano said that Birkirkara know how tough the game against Ħamrun Spartans will be but they are ready for the challenge.
“This is a very big game for us against the Malta champions and there is a great motivation to show our strength against a very strong side,” the former Frosinone forward said.
“There is great expectation at our club to get the right result and the players are hungry to win every game. We are always ready to go the extra mile to produce the best positive performance on the pitch and we are looking forward to this challenge.”
Ħamrun are coming into the match on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Hibernans and coach Alessandro Zinnari is expecting a very strong response from his players.
“This is a crucial match for us,” the Italian coach said.
“At the moment we are eight points adrift of Birkirkara and this match is a perfect opportunity for us to try and close the gap with them and a win against them will be a huge psychological boost for us.
“We are always striving to play and create scoring opportunities but unfortunately in recent weeks we failed to reach our targets in a number of matches.
“I expect the players to come out and provide the right response to the club and to our loyal fans. There is a great desire from all the players to bounce back and the match against Birkirkara is a perfect opportunity to show that we can still challenge the best teams.”
Prsa resolve
Ħamrun midfielder Roko Prsa said there is great motivation among the players to make up for recent disappointing results and it’s only up to the players to fix the team’s situation in the standings.
“There is a great sense of disappointment after our defeat to Hibernians but I can assure that we are determined to bounce back against Birkirkara,” the Croatian midfielder said.
“We are giving everything we have on the pitch but sometimes we are not taking the chances we are creating and end up dropping precious points.
“During the international break, we have worked really hard with the coach, pushing each other to the limit to arrive for the match in the best possible condition.
“Our mentality is always the same – to try and winning every match – and it will also remain that.
“Missing important players like Emerson Marcelina and Steve Borg is a huge blow for us, but it’s up to us to fix it. We are not in an easy situation but we are determined to put the team where it deserves.”
