City face revitalised Stripes

Valletta breezed through the opening leg of their title run-in as they thumped Balzan Youths 7-2 on Tuesday but they will be no under no illusion that their second Championship Pool outing will be another stroll in the park.

Next up for the champions are Birkirkara who are high on confidence after their 3-1 victory over Floriana not only reinforced their challenge for Europe but also stretched their winning run to three consecutive games.

As always, the rivalry between the two sets of fans adds further spice to this fixture amid high expectations of a colourful atmosphere at the National Stadium (kick-off 4 p.m.).

While acknowledging that the 7-2 win over Balzan has lifted his team’s morale, Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa was keen to stress that the clash with the Stripes is a different proposition.

“The last match is behind us, it will have no bearing on our game against Birkirkara,” Zerafa said.

“The win over Balzan has given us a psychological boost but this is a different game. We must remain focused on getting the three points.”

Malta captain Michael Mifsud is rated as doubtful for today’s match as he has yet to shake off the injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s game. Flank defender Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri is in line for a recall to the squad after recovering from injury while Nigerian striker Alfred Effiong is back from suspension.

Not that Zerafa is expected to tinker with his formation on the back of Valletta’s dominant performance against Balzan in which William Barbosa pressed his claim for a regular place with a convincing display in midfield.

Zerafa admitted that his team are under mounting pressure to hold on to top spot – they currently lead Hibs by two points – but he’s unfazed by the challenge.

“The pressure is on us because we’re first and the other teams are chasing us,” Zerafa said. “But, this is a normal situation for us and it’s not a distraction for the players. They have the experience to deal with the pressure. This is the time to show what we’re made of because the real business has just begun.”

After watching his team chalk up three successive wins, Birkirkara coach Paul Zammit is eyeing a consistent run in the Championship Pool. “Firstly, I prefer to look at my team,” Zammit said.

“We know that we’re playing Valletta and that it will be a hard match but this is what the Championship Pool is about. We need to concentrate on our position.

“The players deserve credit for their efforts but we still have a long way to go. We must aim to go on a positive run at this crucial stage of the season, it’s in these type of games where we can really gauge our consistency. If we fail to do this, our objectives will take a hit.

“I’m happy with our performance in the last game but we have to keep it going. The next test is very difficult as we’re facing a very strong team who are in form and fighting for the league title.

“It’s in these kind of games where we all have to show our character.”

Birkirkara’s record of two defeats from two matches against Valletta this season is hardly inspiring but Zammit is not giving much weight to those results.

“There were diverse situations in those two matches,” Zammit said. “The first game against Valletta was my first in charge of Birkirkara and, all things considered, the team’s performance was satisfactory.

“The second game produced a different story. We were 2-0 down after 14 minutes and our plans went out of the window.

“When you’re playing teams like Valletta, you get punished for every mistake. To have a chance against them, we must cut out the technical and tactical errors.”

In the Floriana game, Zammit’s decision to go from 4-2-1-3 to 4-4-1-1 paid spectacular dividends as the change disconcerted the Greens.

Given the success of the tactical switch, it seems safe to assume that Birkirkara will adopt the same tactics against Valletta but Zammit said: “Tactically, we base our strategy on the qualities of our opponents and our own strengths.

“We’ve been working to enhance our capability to adapt to different modules.”

Zammit is concerned about the fitness of a host of players, including Brazilian winger Jorge, who are carrying knocks. Midfielder Rowen Muscat is recovering from a virus and should earn a place in the squad.

Results so far: Valletta vs Birkirkara 2-1, 4-1.

Coach-less Greens without key trio

Floriana vs Hibernians (today at 2 p.m., National Stadium).

Floriana have had a troubled build-up to their clash with Hibs after coach Michael Woods and his backroom staff stepped down in the wake of the 3-1 defeat to Birkirkara.

At the time of writing, the Greens had not appointed Woods’s successor, meaning that the players will probably have no technical person to guide them before and during today’s match against Hibs.

Floriana will also be without three key players after Mano Micallef, Ivan Woods and Eric Akoto received a one-match ban.

Micallef and Akoto were sent off in the closing stages of Wednesday’s loss to Birkirkara while Woods earned his fourth yellow card.

Christian Cassar and Tyrone Farrugia are sidelined with long-term knee injuries while Nigerian striker Onome Sodje has had his contract terminated by Floriana.

Like Floriana, Hibs have only had two days to prepare for this match as they played on Wednesday, beating Sliema Wanderers 2-1 to narrow the gap on Valletta to two points.

Coach Mark Miller will wait until hours before kick-off to decide on his starting line-up as Bjorn Kristensen has been down with flu, Luis Edison ‘Tarabai’ picked up a knock on Wednesday and Jackson Lima required stitches to a wound on the back of his leg.

Results so far: Floriana vs Hibs 1-1, 0-0.

Marsaxlokk vs Ħamrun Spartans (tomorrow at 2 p.m., Hibs Stadium).

Marsaxlokk gained a much-needed tonic after beating Qormi 1-0 for their first win since early November.

The victory kept Marsaxlokk’s survival hopes alive as they trail third-from-bottom Ħamrun Spartans, their impending opponents, by two points.

Anton Cremona, the Marsaxlokk coach, is unlikely to make drastic changes to the team that started the Qormi match but midfielder Trevor Templeman is expected to regain a first-team berth after serving his one-match ban.

Ħamrun showed admirable fighting spirit as they came back from two goals down to draw with Mosta in their last outing.

Coach Stefan Sultana will have to make at least one change from the last game as Matthew Gauci received a one-match ban yesterday. Daniel Zerafa is doubtful.

Results so far: Marsaxlokk vs Ħamrun 5-3, 2-6.

Qormi vs Tarxien Rainbows (tomorrow at 4 p.m., Hibs Stadium).

Qormi will be without two regular defenders for this delicate clash against Tarxien as they look to bounce back after their disappointing defeat to Marsaxlokk.

Kenneth Scicluna is out due to suspension while Italian wingback Federico Mirarchi suffered a knee injury in training. Roderick Sammut is back in the fray after serving a two-match ban. Nigerian striker Aboubakar-Bello Osagie is still doubtful with a hamstring injury.

Tarxien are in high spirits after their victory over Mqabba boosted their survival hopes.

Coach Patrick Curmi will be without Brazilian defender Everton, suspended, while Manuel Caruana is still recovering from a hamstring problem.

Results so far: Tarxien vs Qormi 1-4, 2-0.

Mqabba vs Mosta (Monday at 2 p.m., Tedesco Stadium).

Mosta and Mqabba will be chasing precious points in their bid to improve their survival hopes after disappointing results in their last outings.

Mosta, who threw away a two-goal lead against Ħamrun, have no injury problems as striker Obinna Obiefule and midfielder Dyson Falzon are now fully recovered from their injuries.

But, coach Steve D’Amato must make do without industrious midfielder Kurt Magro who must serve a one-match ban for four yellow cards.

Mqabba coach Clive Mizzi can bank on almost a full complement with the only injury doubt being Marko Potezica who is struggling to shake off a knock.

Results so far: Mosta vs Mqabba 1-1, 3-0.

Balzan Youths vs Sliema Wanderers (Monday at 4.15 p.m., Tedesco Stadium).

This is a clash between two teams who began their Championship Pool commitments on a negative note.

Balzan Youths suffered a humiliating 7-2 defeat to Valletta while Sliema failed to show their best in a 2-1 loss to Hibs.

Now fourth, Sliema can’t afford to lose further ground on the top three positions if they are to stay in the race for Europe.

Sliema coach Danilo Doncic is keeping his fingers crossed that Mark Scerri and Trevor Cilia will get the medical all-clear to play on Monday. Andrew Decesare is still sidelined with a knee problem while midfielder Ryan Grech is suspended.

After their historic qualification to the Championship Pool, Balzan were given a stark reminder of the challenges they face to hold their own among the elite.

Coach Ivan Zammit could ring the changes for Monday’s game. It has been reported that Balzan have parted ways with Albanian defender Bledjon Guga and Serbian midfielder Nikola Tasic while Nigerian striker Anthony Eviparker has been suspended for 28 days by the club for unprofessional conduct.

Goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri is ruled out by suspension.

Results so far: Balzan vs Sliema 1-1, 2-1.