Second-placed San Ġiljan Sir Alex are the only team that can realistically challenge Neptunes Emirates for the title.
Neptunes have a six-point lead at the top after storming to their seventh successive win with a 20-6 hammering of Sirens Ritter Sport on Wednesday but the Saints are widely expected to keep their title bid alive this evening when they meet Exiles Ferretti who are still without a point after six games.
Now led by Croatian coach Sergio Afric, San Ġiljan cemented second spot in their last outing following an easy 17-10 victory over Sirens whose notable decline in the last few seasons has further diminished the level of competition in the top echelon of Maltese waterpolo.
The same goes for Exiles.
Although the Sliema-based club have never been considered among the country’s top guns, their improvement in recent years suggested that Exiles were slowly but surely narrowing the gap on the likes of Neptunes and Sliema but they have failed to maintain the upward trend this season.
On Tuesday, Exiles suffered their sixth defeat in as many games after losing 17-9 to Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate.
Sliema are enduring one of their most disappointing seasons as they trail sporting foes Neptunes by a massive 12 points.
Out of contention for the championship, Sliema have long shifted their focus to the Knock-Out and their upcoming final against Neptunes on August 20.
Until then, the Blues will be looking to raise their perfor-mance level in their league fixtures in order to improve their chances of upsetting their more-quoted rivals in the cup clash.
Tomorrow, stand-in coach Peter Decesare will expect his team to see off Sirens but, if their first-round meeting is anything to go by, the match is unlikely to be a one-sided affair as the St Paul’s Bay outfit had produced a gallant showing before going down to Sliema 10-9.
Programme
Today: 18.00 Ta’ Xbiex vs Marsa-xlokk. 19.15 San Ġiljan vs Exiles.
Tomorrow: 16.45 Marsaxlokk vs ASA U-17. 18.00 Otters vs Marsascala. 19.15 Sirens vs Sliema.