Latvians take charge in domestic league ahead of Euro clash

FC Skonto, Sliema Wanderers' opponents in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, have seized the initiative in the Latvian League after collecting two successive victories in four days.

Skonto, bidding for a record 13th league title on the trot, lead Metalurgs by two points after 15 matches but the latter have two games in hand.

Last Wednesday, Skonto were away to Valmiera and won 2-0. On Saturday, the Latvian champions trounced lowly club Auda 4-0 to ensure a perfect warm-up for tomorrow's Champions League clash against the Wanderers at the Hibernians Ground.

As if to underline their financial muscle, Skonto flew out to Malta on a private jet yesterday.

The 54-strong Skonto contingent arrived in Malta yesterday afternoon before they headed to the Preluna Hotel. Skonto will depart for Latvia soon after tomorrow's match which kicks off at 5.30 p.m.

Robert Arrigo, the Sliema president, told The Times that the team's preparations for tomorrow's match are proceeding smoothly.

Expectations of a good result in the home leg are high after Sliema's significant strengthening of their squad following the arrivals of Stefan Giglio, Daniel Bogdanovic, Jamie Pace, Lee Lombardi and Dybrill Sylla.

Although Arrigo is cautiously optimistic, he knows that Skonto are very tough opponents.

"The signings we have made in the last few weeks give us a better chance but it is going to be very difficult.

"We can only gain a good result if we perform to the maximum of our potential. The players have to avoid committing mistakes that normally cost us goals and they must take the chances that come their way," Arrigo said.

The Sliema president said pre-sale of tickets for tomorrow's match is going well. Only 1,000 tickets have been made available for the match at the ground in Corradino where new seats have been installed to make the stadium in line with UEFA regulations.

The Hibernians Ground management have also made other structural improvements in the VIP zone.

Tickets can be purchased from Miramare Hotel, St Julian's, or 60, Depiro Street, Sliema. Transport leaves from Depiro Street at 4.30 p.m. on matchday.

Arrigo said that due to the limited number of seats, only valid matchday ticket holders, who purchase their tickets from authorised outlets or directly from the ground, will be admitted into the stadium.

Xamax start tomorrow

Neuchatel Xamax, Valletta FC's rivals in the UEFA Cup qualifying round on August 12 and 28, will be starting their 2003-04 league commitments in Switzerland tomorrow with an away match at Grasshoppers.

Xamax earned the right to play in the UEFA Cup after finishing third on the 35-point mark, but a staggering 23 points behind champions Grasshoppers. Runners-up Basel, Xamax and Young Boys qualified for the UEFA Cup.

The league has a new format with the top division now consisting of 10 teams rather than the 12 who took part last year. Instead of the league being reduced to eight after the winter break, all 10 teams will remain in the same division with clubs facing each other four times in total.

Two will be relegated from the first division.