Sliema Wanderers face Hibernians in direct encounter
The next seven days are set to be decisive for several teams who are either chasing a Top Six berth or looking to move away from the relegation places in the YoHealth Malta Premier.
All 12 teams in the Maltese top-flight will be engaged in back-to-back MatchDays scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as on the weekend and every game will have a major bearing on who will progress to a Top Six berth or the battle to avoid the bottom two places.
Front-runners Floriana and Valletta are the only two teams approaching these matches with little pressure, having both secured their place in the Top Six with victories last weekend.
Floriana will be involved in arguably the top match of the midweek programme when they take on third-placed Ħamrun Spartans on Wednesday.
This is a must-win match for Ħamrun Spartans as they aim to secure their place in the Top Six as soon as possible and avoid a late scramble, similar to what they experienced in both phases of last season’s championship.
The Reds are coming from a disappointing 1-1 draw against Naxxar Lions, which saw the Malta champions visibly affected by their physical exertion in their UEFA Conference League clash against Lausanne-Sport a couple of days before.
However, for Wednesday’s clash, coach Giacomo Modica is set to turn on the majority of his big guns that were given a bit of rest against the Lions on Sunday as they look to turn on the style against arguably the top side in the division.
The Spartans are struggling to combine their European exertions with their domestic assignments, and this could turn out to be a tricky situation in their bid to secure a berth in the Top Six.
The Spartans are just three points ahead of seventh-placed Birkirkara with just two matches to the end of the Opening Phase.
On the other hand, things look much brighter at Floriana as the Greens are the most consistent side of the division, notching six successive wins in all competitions.
Last weekend, the Greens managed to shut out Birkirkara but they will be aware that they have a tougher test against the current champions.
Valletta will kick off the midweek programme on Tuesday evening when Valletta take on Gżira United.
The Citizens are the only unbeaten side of the division and will fancy their chances to preserve their impressive form against the Maroons.
However, it would be daft for Valletta to underestimate a Gżira United side who look a transformed side since Darren Abdilla replaced Clive Mizzi as first-team coach.
In fact, Gżira have won their last three matches and although their chances of a Top Six berth look remote, a win against Valletta could keep them with an outside chance ahead of the final round of fixtures.
Sliema Wanderers, Hibernians, Marsaxlokk, and Birkirkara have no margin of error in their bid to fill one of the remaining four berths.
The Wanderers and the Paolites face off in a decisive clash on Wednesday at the Centenary Stadium.
Consistency
Sliema and Hibernians both are suffering from the same symptoms – inconsistency.
The Wanderers have just one win to show from their last three matches, and on Sunday again produced a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde display against Marsaxlokk, as after dominating the first half, after the break the team lost all its rhythm and could have ended up losing the match.
Hibernians, on the other hand, look in deep trouble as the Paolites are showing few signs of quality.
Against Valletta, the Paolites looked short of confidence and never looked capable of turning the match in their favour.
Sunday’s loss was their third in a row, and should they leave the Centenary Stadium empty-handed, their chances of a Top Six berth will look increasingly unlikely.
Marsaxlokk and Birkirkara must win their clashes against Żabbar St Patrick and Tarxien Rainbows to push themselves closer to a Top Six berth.
The Southerners will start as clear favourites against a Tarxien side who have lost their last four league matches.
Sunday’s resilient performance against Sliema has surely provided a dose of confidence among the Marsaxlokk players, but they need to start scoring more goals if they are to reach their first target of the season.
Birkirkara, on the other hand, need to produce the right response after their damaging defeat against Żabbar St Patrick and must approach this match with the right focus as the Saints can turn out to be tricky opponents.
The other fixture is a relegation six-pointer between the two teams currently occupying the last places in the standings, Mosta and Naxxar Lions.
Both Naxxar and Mosta have struggled for results this season and to add more fire to the clash, they will also renew the rivalry between the two neighbouring clubs.
A win is a must to ensure they stay in touch with their relegation rivals and more importantly, gain some ground on the other teams who are expected to battle to avoid the last two places in the standings.
