Top two wrestle for title edge

Birkirkara are gunning for the second championship in their history while Sliema Wanderers are striving to embellish their status as the aristocrats of local football with a fourth successive league crown to add to their record collection of 26.

These two clubs have been the dominant forces of Maltese football in recent times and this season looks to be no different.

Barely a week after the other title pretenders stumbled and virtually smoothed the way for another two-horse race for the ultimate prize in the local game, the leading duo will lock horns tomorrow (kick-off 5 p.m.).

An encounter between the top two teams at the start of April is normally defined as a title decider, provided that the gap in points between the contestants is of reachable proportions.

That is definitely the state of affairs in the top rungs of the MFA's flagship competition where Bir-kirkara have a slim two-point gap on the champions going into tomorrow's encounter.

Yet, for all the talk of a title showdown, Sunday, April 2 cannot be described as D-Day for Birkirkara and Sliema, given that after this weekend, all teams in the Championship Pool will have another five, all potentially tricky matches, in the straight for home.

Nevertheless, tomorrow's clash is of utmost importance as its outcome could have a telling effect on the race for the honours.

The plausible scenarios looming over this fixture are three-fold.

If Birkirkara emerge victorious, they will increase their lead on Sliema to five points and take a giant stride towards the title.

A Sliema victory would put them in pole position, albeit with a meagre one-point advantage on Birkirkara.

In case of a draw, the status quo will be confirmed as Birkirkara will stay in front with five matches remaining.

Although Birkirkara look under less pressure to win than their opponents, their coach Stephen Azzopardi made it a point to emphasise the significance of this match.

"This is a very important stage for us," Azzopardi told The Times.

"We knew that the fixtures against Marsaxlokk, Hibs and Sliema were crucial ones for our ambitions. Having bagged maximum points at the expense of Marsaxlokk and Hibs, it's a must for us to take something from our match against Sliema.

"A defeat will put us in a very difficult situation because we all know that Sliema very rarely slip up when they have the upperhand in such circumstances.

"Our foremost priority is to avoid defeat but we will face Sliema fully determined to win."

Fitness doubts over a host of first-team personnel have forced Azzo-pardi to delay his selection of the starting line-up.

While midfielder Adrian Ciantar, who hit a brace in Birkirkara's 2-1 defeat of Sliema in the second round, is still plagued by a knee injury, the likes of Lino Galea (back), Roderick Briffa (groin), Mark Anthony Bonnici (groin) and George Mallia (calf) are facing a race against time to prove their fitness.

On a brighter note, Etienne Barbara is raring to go after his 30-minute cameo appearance in the 3-1 win over Hibs.

The facial injury sustained by Barbara in his side's 1-0 defeat of Marsaxlokk, had raised fears of a lengthy lay-off for the powerful striker but in a typical display of character, he was back in the fray within a week.

A ten-match unbeaten run, stretching from last December, has justifiably lifted optimism in the Birkirkara clan.

Azzopardi listed three reasons for his own enhanced confidence in Birkirkara's title credentials.

"This team has matured a lot and our top players are at the peak of their career," Azzopardi said.

"The second factor is the unity in our clan and third, the consistency we've shown this season.

"Before, we used to have problems to maintain our standards over a long period of time but this time we have been far more consistent."

In their last three championship-winning seasons, Sliema had the benefit of being in the driving seat before direct encounters with Birkirkara but this time, the roles have been reversed.

Birkirkara's two-point lead at the top reduces the likelihood of a waiting game from Sliema.

Different situation

"Most of the time, Sliema enjoyed the lead in the title race and could therefore interpret matches against Birkirkara their own way but this time, the situation is different," Azzopardi said.

"As Birkirkara are leading the standings, I would assume that they will be more inclined to take the initiative rather than sit back."

Even so, it's not the Sliema strikers who are tormenting Azzopardi in the lead-up to tomorrow's match but their last line of defence.

"Judging by past experiences, Sliema's goalkeeper Murphy Akanji has to be viewed as our biggest obstacle.

"Akanji rarely had a bad game against Birkirkara in the past and has always made life difficult for us," Azzopardi remarked.

Faced with suggestions that Birkirkara and Sliema are the main contestants for the title, Azzopardi remarked: "All teams in the Championship Pool can win games but the title will be won by either Birkirkara or Sliema."

Edward Aquilina, the coach of Sliema, agrees. " At this stage, it's between us two," Aquilina said.

A return to the familiar scenario of a dual challenge for the league crown was surely welcomed by Birkirkara and Sliema but Aquilina conceded that a defeat for his team would virtually clear the Stripes' path for glory.

"This match is almost decisive for us," Aquilina said.

"There is more pressure on us to win because we are two points behind in the table. A defeat would seriously undermine our chances but I'm not concerned by our urgency to take three points from this game.

"Our squad is full of big-time players who know how to cope with this kind of pressure.

"As long as the objective is within our reach, I'm always confident that Sliema can do it. I see my players every day and I can feel that the vibe is very positive."

Aquilina is expected to restore Stefan Giglio and Darren Debono to his starting line-up after the two former Valletta stalwarts missed the 4-1 success over Msida with hamstring problems.

Sliema's midfield will be shorn of the vast experience of Joe Brincat though. A cartilage operation he had less than two weeks ago has shattered his hopes of lining up against his former employers.

Orosco Anonam, Joseph Farrugia and Lee Lombardi are the other players on the injury list.

Invited to give his views on Birkirkara's positive campaign so far, Aquilina offered some interesting observations.

"At the start of the season, I thought they would find it hard to replace Lucian Dronca and Haruna Doda but their collective work has compensated for their absence," Aquilina remarked.

"Teamwork is Birkirkara's forte. This season they've amalgamated tactical organisation with individual skills and it worked for them.

"Obviously, their morale has been bolstered by their positive run of results. When a team is a on a roll, the players' self-belief is high."

Birkirkara may be regarded as slight favourites to win tomorrow but Aquilina said: "They will do their utmost to beat us but in my opinion this is a game that can go either way."

League results this season - Sliema vs Birkirkara 2-1, 1-2.