The first round has been an up-and-down ride for the bulk of the Premier League clubs, including champions Valletta who emerged from a difficult spell in October to reignite their title defence bid.

Having headed into the international break on a bright note after a 3-0 win over Ħamrun moved them to within three points of leaders Balzan, Valletta will now look to  embark on a sustained run of wins but are under no illusion about the scale of the task awaiting them this afternoon at the National Stadium (kick-off: 4pm) as they face the resurgent Sliema Wanderers.

Paul Zammit wants Valletta to show more consistency but readily admits that it won’t be easy as the first round highlighted the balance among the clubs, particularly those in the upper part of the standings.

“The first round enabled teams to gauge their potential vis-à-vis their opponents,” the City coach told Times of Malta.

“If anything, it showed that there is balance between the teams and the difference in points is minimal.

“It has also demonstrated that even the so-called big teams can win or lose against anyone.

“I have already said that our priority in the first round was to give an identity to our team but our work was disrupted by injuries and suspensions in certain games.

“But, we’re settling down nicely and not just in terms of tactical systems but also in the way we want to play. Our performances in the last games have been encouraging but the second round will be more difficult.

“If your approach on the day is not right, you will have problems.”

Zammit welcomes goalkeeper Henry Bonello back as he has completed a three-match ban. Captain Jonathan Caruana is also set to return after recovering from a hamstring problem.

Valletta’s attacking prowess was at the heart of their title success last season but they are struggling to replicate their scoring exploits this term with Argentine striker Federico Falcone lacking his usual sharpness since returning from a quad problem.

Zammit said he and his technical staff have been working to address the side’s profligacy in front of goal.

“I don’t like to single out a particular player,” Zammit said of Falcone who only has three goals to his name this season.

“One of the problems we met in the first round was that we didn’t score enough in proportionate to the chances we created.

“We had to work on this aspect because, in certain games, it cost us points. It’s a collective issue.

“Falcone is an key component in our team but the problem is that he had an injury and he’s not yet as sharp as his team-mates. I would be more concerned if we were not creating chances, but this hasn’t been the case.”

Valletta needed a late Roderick Briffa stunner to overcome Sliema in their opening game of the season.

Zammit has a lot of respect for the tough-to-beat Blues.

“Although Sliema didn’t start the season particularly well, they showed that some of the players they possess, both local and foreign, are among the best in the league,” he said.

“Once they found their feet, Sliema’s results improved and their performances have been in crescendo. They are one of the teams who can challenge for a top-five finish.”

John Buttigieg, the Sliema coach, is not getting carried away by his team’s improved showings.

“We have now played 11 games and there’s more confidence and cohesion in the team,” he said.

“Obviously, confidence comes from results and good performances. We’re unbeaten in the last six games and we are playing well but we know this won’t be an easy match against the champions.

“The most important thing is that the team give their best.”

Although Sliema have clearly upped their game in the last two months, the general feeling is that their mid-table position belies their improvement as the Blues have dropped points in games they should have won. Buttigieg was philosophical about this.

“There were three games, the defeats against Valletta and Hibs, and the draw against Mosta, where we deserved to take more points,” the former Malta coach remarked.

“But there were other matches, like the one against Tarxien, when we were perhaps not the better team but won.”

At a news conference yesterday, Keith Perry, the Sliema Wanderers president, said the club’s target was to retain the FA Trophy and challenge for qualification to the UEFA competitions.

“I believe we can,” Buttigieg replied when asked if he thought Sliema have what it takes to break into the top four.

“That said, there are six other teams fighting for the same objective and the UEFA qualifying spots are limited. It’s going to be a close fight between these teams.

“As for the FA Trophy competition, this can be very unpredictable because unfancied teams can cause a surprise.

“It’s not going to be easy but if our players maintain the same attitude and commitment, we can do well.”

The Sliema coach must make do without Beninese striker Wisdom Salomon this afternoon while captain Alex Muscat and midfielder Mark Scerri are highly doubtful.

First round: Valletta vs Sliema 2-1.

Andelkovic returns

■ Mislav Andelkovic is back in the frame as Birkirkara look to bolster their title challenge by beating St Andrews this afternoon at the National Stadium (kick-off: 2pm).

The Stripes are in desperate need to steady their ship after picking up just one point from their last two matches, slipping four points behind leaders Balzan and down to fourth place in the process.

Croatian midfielder Andelkovic has recovered from a knee injury and is available for coach Drazen Besek who has no injury worries after his players returned from international duty.

St Andrew’s will be looking to maintain the good form shown before the international break – a sequence that brought valuable wins over Gżira United and Pembroke Athleta.

Coach Danilo Doncic will be without defender Michael Johnson, who must serve a one-match ban, while winger Daniel Brandle is still out with an ankle injury.

First round: Birkirkara vs St Andrews 4-0.

Rainbows coaching chaos

■ Tarxien Rainbows’ build-up for today’s match against Gżira United at the Tedesco Stadium (2pm) has been rather chaotic following the sudden departure of coach Jacques Scerri who stepped down on Wednesday.

His earmarked replacement, Kevin Vella, eventually decided not to take the job.

The Rainbows, fourth from bottom, said they are doing everything they can to settle the issue, even though the situation is far from ideal prior to their clash with the Maroons.

Tarxien also have a few key players missing as striker Alex Nilsson and defenders Emerson Marcelina and Ebiabowei Baker are all out, suspended.

On the plus side, Tarxien winger Daniel Ponce is back after missing the derby defeat to Hibs in the previous match.

Gżira also effected a coaching change lately with Darren Abdilla promoted to first-team duties following the resignation of Branko Nisevic.

Abdilla is expected to hand a debut to new signings, Marco Boerchio, an Italian goalkeeper, and Gambian striker Mamadou Yallow.

First round: Gżira vs Tarxien 1-1.

Balzan Hit By Injuries, Bans

■ It’s difficult to see anything but a win for Balzan this afternoon as they launch their second-round commitments with a match against struggling Mosta at the Tedesco Stadium (4.15pm).

After seeing their lead cut to just one point, Balzan can’t afford to drop their guard against teams from the bottom half of the table to stay consistent in what many are anticipating to be a tight race for the title.

Coach Oliver Spiteri has lost Paul Fenech for the next three weeks after the Malta midfielder underwent a hernia operation while Justin Grioli is still four weeks away from making a full recovery from a knee injury.

Goalkeeper Christian Cassar, Alfred Effiong and Lydon Micallef are all sidelined with suspension but defender Elkin Serrano is back in the reckoning.

Mosta are under pressure to start picking up points after their defeat to Pembroke.

Coach Ivan Zammit is expecting a strong response from his players as they look to end a depressing run of five matches without a win in the league.

First round: Mosta vs Balzan 2-3.

Greens start favourites

■ Floriana start as favourites to extend their positive run of form when they face bottom-placed Pembroke tomorrow at the Ħamrun ground (2pm).

The Greens go into the game on a high after collecting seven points from their last three matches but coach Giovanni Tedesco must make do without midfielders Antonio Monticelli and Conor Borg who are ruled out with knee trouble.

Pembroke only managed seven points in the first round but will be hoping to kickstart their season after having the better of fellows-in-distress Mosta in their last encounter.

Pembroke will surely be without veteran goalkeeper Mario Muscat and midfielder Clifford Gauci who parted ways with the club during the international break.

First round: Floriana vs Pembroke 2-1.

Jorginho, Mbong doubtful

■ Second-placed Hibs will be looking to keep up the pressure on Balzan when they take on Ħamrun Spartans tomorrow at the Tedesco Stadium (4.15pm).

The Paolites are aware of the threat posed by the Spartans as the latter stunned Mark Miller’s men on the opening day of the season, beating them 3-1.

Miller is sweating on the fitness of striker Jorginho, who is nursing a groin injury, and winger Joseph Mbong. The wing-back sustained an ankle injury during Malta U-21s’ 2-2 friendly draw against Cyprus in midweek.

For this match, Ħamrun will be under the guidance of assistant coach Jonathan Holland after Steve D’Amato was relieved of his duties last week. The Spartans are currently looking to engage a new coach and are hopeful of making an announcement next week.

Ħamrun defender Jorginho must serve a one-match ban while goalkeeper David Cassar is out with a pulled muscle.

First round: Ħamrun vs Hibernians 3-1.

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