With Malta’s much-hyped World Cup qualifier against Italy behind us, the focus switches back to domestic matters, precisely the race for the BOV Premier League title as four of the leading pack are in action this afternoon.
The battle for the top prize in Maltese football took a significant twist in the last programme after Birkirkara overcame champions Valletta to establish a four-point lead over their rivals with only six matches remaining.
This has left the faltering Citizens facing a veritable make-or-break clash with fellow title candidates Hibs this afternoon at the National Stadium (kick-off 4pm).
Valletta’s toothless performance against the Stripes incensed their supporters to the point that many are not expected to attend today’s match as a sign of protest at their team’s dwindling form.
Striker Michael Mifsud acknow-ledged that the clash with Hibernians, who are two points above Valletta, is do-or-die for the champions.
“We are in a difficult situation as it no longer depends on us,” Mifsud said of Valletta’s title hopes.
“We need our rivals to drop points to have a chance of winning the title but we will continue to give our 100 per cent for the club in every game.
“The match against Hibs is crucial for us, do-or-die. After our defeat to Birkirkara, we must make amends.
“We must win to keep our title hopes alive.
“Everyone is aware that we have just lost a very important game but we must get back up on out feet to bounce back against Hibs.”
Mifsud brushed off suggestions that the Malta players may struggle for motivation after being involved in Tuesday’s glamorous game against Italy in front of 17,000 fans.
“For me, the national team’s recent qualifiers are water under the bridge because they belong to the past,” Mifsud said.
“We play more games for the club than for the national team. We have some important matches coming up and I’m only focusing on my club duties.”
Tuesday’s encounter with Italy was like a rollercoaster ride for Mifsud whose 16th-minute penalty was saved by goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon but, barely four minutes later, the Malta captain almost redeemed himself in spectacular fashion after his sizzling shot from the distance cannoned off the crossbar.
Penalty heartache
“When I missed the penalty, I felt like I had let the whole nation down,” Mifsud said.
“I mean I had the chance to score a goal for my country against illustrious opponents but I failed... I was very disappointed.
“It was not easy to cope with that setback but I don’t dwell on past failures, I always look ahead. I have that sort of character.
“I always continue to give my 100 per cent and was unlucky not to score after the penalty as that shot came off the crossbar.
“I was determined to make up for the penalty miss but it wasn’t to be.
“The fans appreciated my efforts as they gave me an ovation when I came off late in the game... it was very moving. I want to thank the supporters for creating such a great atmosphere at the stadium.”
Mifsud hopes that the positive performances of the Valletta players in Malta’s defeat to Italy will enhance their confidence for the upcoming league games.
“Everyone played well for the national team and a performance like that helps to improve your self-belief,” Mifsud said.
“I hope that, in the match against Hibs, we repeat the confident display we produced against Italy.”
Luke Dimech, who partnered Valletta team-mate Jonathan Caruana in the heart of Malta’s defence on Tuesday, must serve a one-match suspension.
Winger Daniel Bogdanovic is out with an abdominal strain but Nigerian forward Abubakar Bello-Osagie is close to completing his rehabilitation from injury, under the guidance of Daniele Angeloni, Valletta’s physical trainer.
Like Mifsud, Hibs’ wing-back Clayton Failla sees today’s game as make-or-break for his team.
“It’s very important, a do-or-die game for both teams,” Failla told The Times. “Both of us have been through a bad spell.
“We beat Mosta in our last outing but before that, we lost two games in a row. This is why Valletta and us are on the same wavelength.”
A win for Hibs today would represent as much a massive boost for their title chances as a potentially deadly blow to Valletta’s hopes.
“We haven’t been under excessive pressure to win the league but now that we’re very much in contention, the committee and everyone in our camp have been talking about this possibility,” Failla said.
Failla put on a solid performance in Malta’s qualifier against Italy.
Asked whether his club form may benefit from his bold effort on Tuesday, Failla said: “It depends on which way you look at it.
“You may find it difficult to recover in time from a tough game like that but, on the other hand, you’re on a high tempo.
“There are pros and cons.
“Regarding Tuesday, we were pleased with our performance. Personally, I didn’t have a great game but I did my job tactically.
“My task was to stop (Ignazio) Abate from advancing and I think I carried out my duties well.”
Zoran Levnaic is expected to return for Hibs after recovering from injury but Adrian Pulis is sidelined.
Valletta have a perfect head-to-head record against Hibs this season after winning the previous two meetings 1-0 and 4-1.
In today’s curtain-raiser, Birkir-kara will be aiming to open a five-point gap on Hibs when they meet Tarxien Rainbows at the National Stadium (kick-off 2pm).
Victory for the buoyant Stripes would further increase the pressure on Valletta and Hibs before their direct clash.
Coach Paul Zammit is expected to name the same team that started the 2-0 win over Valletta. Captain Gareth Sciberras came through Malta’s qualifier against Italy unscathed after a groin injury kept him out of the Bulgaria game.
Tarxien Rainbows will be seeking their first positive result against Birkirkara this season after three defeats, two in the championship and one in the U*Bet FA Trophy.
After claiming the scalp of Valletta, the Blues will be relishing the prospect of upstaging another title contender as they bid to bolster their challenge for European qualification.
Coach Clive Mizzi must make do without midfielder Manuel Caruana, suspended, while Orosco Anonam and Steve Sadowski are doubtful after being down with flu.
Tarxien were on the receiving end of two heavy defeats, 4-1 and 5-0, in their previous league matches against the Stripes this season.