The real business for the top-flight clubs starts this weekend as the 2011/12 BOV Premier League, featuring 12 teams for the first time, springs to life with a six-match programme.

Sliema Wanderers and Hibs will be bidding to begin their league campaign on the right footing as both seek to reassert their status as top-four contenders after their descent into the Relegation Pool last season.

It seems fitting that these two clubs should face each other in today’s second match at the Nat-ional Stadium (kick-off 8.30 p.m.).

Both Sliema and Hibs have brought in a raft of new players to beef up their challenge.

Danilo Doncic, the Sliema coach, has signed two Bulgarian players, former Marsaxlokk midfielder Rumen Galabov and Danail Mitev, who last played in Israel, Brazilian forward Jorge Santos Silva, formerly of Vittoriosa Stars, and Nigerian striker Jerry Ani.

Winger Cleaven Frendo will also wear the Sliema shirt this season after joining the Blues on loan from Valletta.

For his part, Hibs coach Mark Miller is putting his faith in four new Brazilian players, namely forward Luis Edison, who turned out for Vittoriosa Stars last season, striker Marcelo Dias, Rodolfo Soares, a defender-cum-midfielder, and centre-half Diego Balbinot.

Wing-back Clayton Failla, back at Hibs after an unhappy spell with Sliema, will face his former team-mates in his first official outing since rejoining the Paolites.

After putting his charges through an intensive pre-season which also took in a training camp in Bulgaria, Doncic hopes to coax a strong performance out of Sliema in their opening league match.

“This is our first official game of the new season,” Doncic told The Times. “We had many good games in friendlies and some bad ones but a competitive match is something else.

“It’s the first occasion to assess our level. I’m expecting a tough game. Hibs are stronger than last year. They have four new foreign players plus Clayton Failla.

“It’s a good test for two teams that are eager to do well this year after we both finished in the Relegation Pool last season. Our aim is to start collecting points from the first game.”

The Sliema coach can’t send out his best formation today as Galabov is out with a hamstring problem, club captain Alex Muscat is recovering from a dislocated shoulder and newcomer Timmy Thomas has a groin injury.

Doncic is backing Sliema to improve this season. “We will take it game by game,” Doncic said.

“We want to pick as many points as we can in the opening two rounds to secure a place in the Championship Pool. I believe that Sliema will be strong opponents for any team. I hope that we will not have many injury problems during the season as our squad is a bit short on numbers.”

Miller agreed with his Sliema counterpart that today’s game is a good, early test for Hibs.

“It’s a test,” Miller said. “You don’t know how good or poor you are before you start playing against the other teams in the league. In the first round, the teams are a bit cautious as they don’t want to lose stupid points.

“Even though we’re a bit depleted for this game, I’m still confident because the young players have progressed. Last season, they were involved in the Relegation Pool and that experience helped them a lot.

“They took a lot on their shoulders but they’ve been looking stronger in training. It also helps that the youngsters have four Brazilian players around them.”

Dias, who left a good impression in pre-season, must wait to make his official debut for Hibs as he’s injured. Jonathan Pearson is also sidelined with a knee problem while youngster Matthew Tabone could miss the rest of the season after damaging his cruciate ligaments.

Aaron Xuereb is not 100 per cent fit and Edward Herrera is not expected to start as he has yet to shake off an ankle sprain.

Although hopes are high that Hibs will steer clear of the six-team Relegation Pool this season, Miller struck a cautious note.

“If you lose four to five players, you end up fighting to avoid the Relegation Pool,” Miller said. “It happened to us last season. The new teams, Balzan, Mqabba and Mosta, will fight and compete in the Premier League but if they lose players during the season, they will struggle.

“If you look at our fixtures, we’re going to play Balzan and Mosta at the Ħamrun ground and that makes it a level game because the pitch there helps the small teams. I saw Balzan in our tournament and they were full of spirit, physically strong and fought until the end.

“The league will be the same as last year.”

Sale of tickets

The Malta FA announced that tickets for this weekend’s Premier League matches are to be purchased from the ticket booths at the National Stadium and the Hibs Stadium.

Only Sectors D and F of the Millennium Stand will be open to the public at the National Stadium due to on-going works in the Enclosure Side.