The 360 Sports Malta Premier is set to provide another exciting weekend at both ends of the table with the team in the Top Six pushing for a top-two placing while in the Bottom Six all teams will be looking to move away from the relegation places.
At present there is little to separate in either the Top Six or the Bottom Six standings and every point gained is likely to have a major bearing on the final outcome in the Closing Round this season.
Action kicks off in the Bottom Six on Friday evening when Hibernians take on bottom-placed Naxxar Lions.
While Hibernians, buoyed by last week’s 3-0 win over Melita, are in a strong position to seal their top-flight status early, the same cannot be said of Naxxar Lions.
George Vella’s team are coming from a damaging 2-0 defeat to Żabbar St Patrick that left them rooted at the bottom of the standings on 10 points, level with Melita and one point away from third-from-bottom Balzan.
The Lions will be desperate to take maximum spoils this evening but will have to show a remarkable improvement from their recent performances which saw them suffer defeats to Ħamrun Spartans (4-0) and Żabbar SP.
In the second match of the day, Żabbar St Patrick will be looking to make it two wins out of two in the Bottom Six when they face Gżira United.
The Saints put on a very encouraging performance against Naxxar, as despite missing several players they still clinched a vital win that lifted them seven points clear of the relegation places.
A win against the Maroons would see them take one significant step towards reaching their pre-season goal of retaining their top flight status.
However, they are set to face a tougher test this weekend against a Gżira United side who are desperate for points after a poor run of results which left them just three points away from the drop zone.
Giovanni Tedesco’s men fired blanks in their last two outings against Balzan and nothing less than three points will satisfy their ambition of distancing themselves from the bottom two places.
Balzan and Melita will meet in a relegation six-pointer on Sunday with both teams desperate to clinch a win to ease their worries.
Both teams are struggling at both ends of the pitch and need to step up their game by a few notches if they are to gain what would be a crucial win in their bid to retain their top-flight status.
Title credentials
The Top Six is also likely to provide a lot of drama as the race for the leading two positions in the standings resumes, with all six teams sandwiched in just three points.
Marsaxlokk’s title credentials faces a major test when they take on Opening Round winners Floriana.
Enzo Potenza’s southerners are in rude health and last week’s 4-0 demolition of Mosta lifted them to first place in the Top Six, one point clear of Sliema Wanderers and two ahead of Ħamrun Spartans.
However, coach Enzo Potenza will be keen to see his charges back up their impressive display against Mosta with another convincing performance against title challengers Floriana to infuse further belief in the clan that they are ready to challenge for honours this season.
On the other hand, Floriana are passing through a difficult spell which saw them slip to fifth in the Closing Round stages and no doubt coach Darren Abdilla will expect a strong response from his players to reignite their push for top spot in the Closing Round.
Ħamrun Spartans face a tricky test against Mosta.
The Spartans, buoyed by last week’s 1-0 win over Birkirkara have no margin of error and will be aware of the threat posed by a Mosta side who managed to beat the Malta champions three times this season.
Birkirkara also face a real test of character against a rejuvenated Sliema Wanderers side.
The Stripes are still hurting from last week’s defeat to Ħamrun Spartans, but they need a strong response to put their challenge back on track.
However, coach Stefano De Angelis will have a real selection headache on his hands as the Stripes will be without defenders Neil Micallef and Alessandro Coppola, midfielder Alex Satariano and striker Maxuell Maia who must serve suspension.
