Preview - Day 33 Valletta vs Hamrun S Published on: 05-05-2017
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The final verdicts of the 2016-17 BOV Premier League will be settled this week when the remaining
matches of this year’s campaign are played.
With Hibernians fans awaiting impatiently for their crowning as Malta champions at the end oftomorrow’s derby against Tarxien Rainbows, there are still two issues to be decided.
Valletta and Birkirkara are battling it out to claim third spot in the final standings, a position that could earn them a place in next season’s Europa League qualifiers.
In Birkirkara’s case a third-place finish would still not guarantee them European football as they will then have to wait the outcome of their appeal after their application for a UEFA Licence was rejected by the Malta FA.
At the other end of the table, Mosta and Pembroke will be involved in a direct decider to avoid bottom spot in the standings that would condemn them to First Division football next season.
Valletta and Birkirkara, currently tied on 59 points, will be looking to gain maximum spoils from their final assignment against Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana, respectively, but it will be far from a straightforward task.
The Citizens have slumped into a mini-crisis in the last fortnight as back-to-back defeats to St Andrews and Tarxien Rainbows have put their Euro ambitions in jeopardy.
They will hope to rediscover their winning touch today to at least force a decider against the Stripes.
However, the Spartans will be no pushovers as Jacques Scerri’s men are coming into the match on the
back of a spirited performance which saw them hold secondplaced Balzan to a 1-1 draw, a result
that has practically ended Oliver Spiteri’s team title dreams.
Paul Zammit, the Valletta coach, is boosted by the return of defender Steve Borg who has now completed a four-match ban but Jonathan Caruana is out suspended.
Ħamrun will have to do without wingback Manolito Micallef who must serve a one-match ban but on a more positive note Karl Micallef returns after missing the Balzan match due to suspension.
Source - Times of Malta
Source - Times of Malta
