After two seasons marked by Valletta’s hegemony, the 2012/13 BOV Premier League has conjured up an astonishing finale.

For the first time in 42 years, two teams, Birkirkara and Hibs, will face each other in a make-or-break showdown after finishing the regular season tied on 45 points. It was back in 1970-71 that Sliema were crowned champions after beating Marsa 3-0 in a title decider.

The excitement elicited by the twists and turns in this unpredictable battle for the championship will reach fever pitch on Saturday (kick-off: 5pm).

Hibs captain Mario Muscat believes that his team deserve credit after coming through an edgy start to maintain their title challenge.

“I’m satisfied with our campaign, moreso when you consider that we lost four important players in the early part of the season,” Muscat said.

“Edward Herrera and Jason Vandelannoite moved on, Aaron Xuereb left after his contract was not extended and Luis Edison ‘Tarabai’ went to play in Hungary.

“We were also handicapped by the absence of Clayton Failla who returned in November (after serving a reduced ban for a doping offence).

“In January, the club acquired Tarabai and Obinna Obiefule but they only started to play in March because of injuries.

“I believe that we have had a good season after coming so far in the title race. We are also the team that obtained most points this season as, if totals were not halved, we would have finished one point ahead of Birkirkara.”

After Birkirkara beat Tarxien 1-0 on Saturday, nothing less than a victory sufficed for Hibs in their tricky clash with rivals Valletta. The Paolites grasped the challenge head-on as they kept their composure to secure a close but deserved 2-1 win.

“We knew that, whatever the result of Birkirkara’s game against Tarxien, we had to win,” Muscat said.

“The pressure was on us.

“Valletta played without pressure. We expected a stiff challenge and that materialised but ultimately the win went to the team that showed more hunger for the three points.”

Muscat is not surprised that Birkirkara have staked such a strong claim for the championship.

“Birkirkara have proved that they are worthy contenders. They made some good signings and it was clear that they have invested in new players with the aim of winning the league title,” Muscat said.

Hibs have a poor head-to-head record against Birkirkara this season, with two defeats and two draws, but Muscat is not unduly concerned.

“I’m not worried about our record against Birkirkara,” the 36-year-old former Malta goalkeeper said.

“Of the four matches we’ve played against them this season, they only deserved to win once.

“The last time we met, we dominated for 90 minutes but they took the lead late on and we equalised in stoppage time... we certainly deserved the point.

“Birkirkara are very disciplined tactically. They play for the result whereas we go out to attack and score goals. Because of our attacking approach, we can be susceptible at the back but we can’t afford to do that against Birkirkara.

“Their strategy has been con-stant... they defend and operate with counter-attacks.”

Muscat said the title decider can go either way.

“It’s a 50-50 game,” he remarked.

“Birkirkara have a strong team but we have players who can make the difference.”

Justin Haber, Muscat’s oppo-site number at Birkirkara, caused a few eyebrows to be raised when declaring that he preferred the title outcome to be settled in a decider. The 31-year-old has reiterated that stance.

“There have been occasions this season when we struggled to show our best against teams who, on paper, are weaker than us,” Haber told Times of Malta.

“We have a compact squad but in a number of games against less-quoted teams, the decisive breaks went against Birkirkara.

“We rose to the occasion when facing the leading teams.

“After the Tarxien game, I said that I’d rather play Hibs in a title decider. And I stick to what I said.

“I think it would have been rather odd to receive the trophy in Valley Road than on the pitch.

“Also, it was no secret that Valletta had nothing to play for while Hibs were determined to force a decider. Deep down, you hope to win the championship sooner rather than later but I’m a realistic person.

“After all, the status of champions is unique and we must show that we’re worthy of this title.”

Haber agrees with Muscat that Edison’s has strengthened Hibs.

“Hibs deserve to be in this position,” Haber said.

“The return of Edison (Tarabai) has made them stronger.

“We’ve also earned the right to be considered as leading contenders for the title.

“I’m expecting many supporters, including neutrals, to come to the stadium on Saturday... this match promises to be a spectacle.

“It’s a great occasion and every player relishes such challenges. I only wished that the decider was played in midweek as a week is too long... wherever you go, people only want to talk about the match!

“But I’m looking forward to it. When Valletta and Birkirkara were involved in that unforgettable match of 1998, I was studying for my ‘O’ levels and I wondered if I’d ever get the chance to play in a game of that magnitude.

“Well, 15 years on, I’m going to fulfil that wish and I hope to be on the winning side.”

There have been whispers that Hibs may have a psychological edge over Birkirkara after overcoming Valletta in their last match but Haber brushed off the suggestions.

“We’ve had highs and lows in the past few weeks but we’ve always responded,” Haber said.

“Everyone is aware of his mission on Saturday. We must rise to the challenge.”

BOV Premier League statistics – scorers and red cards

Balzan FC – Elton 14 (4 pens); Pedrinho 8 (1 pen); N’Dekre 5, Darmanin 5; Conceicao 3, Caruana 3; Licari 2, Aboulezz 2; Mendy, Deanov, Pace, Forace, Camilleri, Agius.
Red cards: Conceicao (vs Ħamrun, vs Valletta), Licari (vs Hibs), Pace (vs Sliema), Forace (vs Mosta), Camilleri (vs Rabat), Mendy (vs Hibs).

Birkirkara – Jhonnattann 14 (1 pen); Mifsud Triganza 10; Haruna 9 (2 pens); Vukanac 6; R. Muscat 4, Joselito 4; Herrera 3, Camenzuli 3; Sciberras 2, Fenech 2; Z. Muscat, Scicluna, Pereira, Zerafa.
Own goal: Mintoff (vs Sliema).
Red cards: Scicluna (vs Balzan), Fenech (vs Ħamrun,vs Hibs), Herrera (vs Qormi), Haruna (vs Sliema), Mendoza (vs Hibs).

Floriana – Coronado 13; Darmanin 8 (now Balzan); Wasiu 4, Verma 4; Cilia 3, Pisani 3; Roberts 2, Casha 2; Alhinho, Brown, Jeffers, Spiteri, Bugeja, Nwoko, C. Borg, J. Borg, Tremarco.
Red cards: Brown (vs Rabat), K. Farrugia (vs Mosta, vs Rabat Ajax), Alhinho (vs Hibs), Pisani (vs Rabat).

Ħamrun – Grima 8 (4 pens), Vella 6; Lumbilla 3, Calabretta 3, Camilleri 3 (1 pen), Fenech 3, Favero 3; Lattes 2, Spiteri 2; Scerri, Bozhov, Zerafa, Yoshev, Borg. Own goal: Gribbon (vs Melita).
Red cards: Fenech (vs Floriana, vs Balzan, vs Floriana), Cassar (vs Tarxien, vs Qormi, vs Melita), Vitanov (vs Sliema), Borg (vs Qormi).

Hibernians – Failla 13 (4 pens), Lima 11 (2 pens); Cohen 8, Farrugia 7; Tarabai 6; Pulis 3, Soares 3, Ribeiro 3, Dias 3; Kristensen 2; Pisani, Levnaic, Nwoba, Camilleri, Bezzina, Kardeck, Pearson.
Own goals: Guga (vs Ħamrun), Giglio (vs Balzan), Vandelannoite (vs Valletta).
Red cards: Muscat (vs Balzan, vs Valletta), Dias (vs Balzan, vs Birkirkara), Pulis (vs Tarxien, vs Mosta), Nwoko (vs Melita), Soares (vs Valletta, vs Birkirkara).

Melita – Galea 8; Armario Negrin 5 (joined Rabat), L. Micallef 5; Cabanillas 2, Tufegdzic 2, Sierra Camacho 2 (1 pen), Attard 2; Vukanic (pen), Sammut, Borg Olivier, Valenzia (pen).
Own goal: Pace (vs Balzan).
Red cards: Vukanic (vs Valletta), Sierra Camacho (vs Tarxien, vs Qormi), Valenzia (vs Valletta), Sammut (vs Balzan), Caruana Scicluna (vs Mosta), Vella Petroni (vs Qormi), Borg (vs Qormi).

Mosta – Mitev 12 (1 pen); Obiefule 11 (now Hibs); Bogdanovic 5 (1 pen); Apap 3; Aboulezz 2, Zongo 2 (1 pen), Campagnoli 2; Bajada, Chiemeka, Maia Dos Santos, Mbonu, Micallef, Vignaroli, Bezzina.
Own goal: Bello-Osagie (vs Qormi).
Red cards: Grech (vs Sliema), Aboulezz (vs Floriana), Dimech (vs Balzan), Mitev (vs Birkirkara).

Qormi – Effiong 10 (2 pens), Avila Perez 10 (1 pen); Bello-Osagie (now Valletta) 8; Zarate 6; Chetcuti 5; Pisani 4, Thackray 4 (1 pen); Spiteri 3, Siritto 3, Grech 3; Sciberras, Cassar, Bondin. Own goals: Tufegdzic (vs Melita), B. Bondin (vs Balzan).
Red cards: Bondin (vs Rabat), Sciberras (vs Floriana).

Rabat – Armario Negrin 17 (4 pens – started season with Melita); Fuster 4, Licari 4; Felice 3 (1 pen); Astrauskas 2, Azzopardi 2, Pendas 2; Smeir, Carapic, Borg, Cauchi.
Red cards: Borg (vs Floriana), Brincat (vs Sliema), Felice (vs Floriana).

Sliema – Woods 11 (3 pens); Muchardi 6, Ohawuchi 6; Faccini 4, Ciantar 4; Ruggiero 3; A. Muscat 2, Bajada 2; El Ghaouti, Barbetti, Timotic, Gatt Baldacchino, Laudisi, Mifsud, Martinelli, Zammit, B. Muscat, Kokavessis.
Red cards: Scerri (vs Floriana), Bonello (vs Floriana), Martinelli (vs Hibs), Zammit (vs Birkirkara).

Tarxien – Bueno 20 (2 pens); Danilo 8, Andrezinho 8; Evaldo 5; Tanti 3; Anonam 2, Leandro 2; Pulo, Bonnici, Bajada, Tulio, Mamo.
Red cards: Danilo (vs Sliema), Evaldo (vs Birkirkara), Andrezinho (vs Hibs), Caruana (vs Sliema), Timotic (vs Birkirkara).

Valletta – Mifsud 18 (2 pens); Denni 9; Barbosa 8 (4 pens); Toure 6 (1 pen); Gabriel 5, Fenech 5; Caruana 3; Leandro 2, Briffa 2, Zammit 2 (1 pen), Bello-Osagie 2, Dimech 2; Ricardo, Borg, Ogunnuppe, Vandelannoite, Falzon.
Own goal: Tufegdzic (vs Melita).
Red card: Vandelannoite (vs Hibs).

The top scorers
1. Armario Negrin (Rabat) - 22 goals
2. Bueno (Tarxien) - 20 goals
3. Mifsud (Valletta) - 18 goals

Final standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Birkirkara	32	19	9	4	62	22	45
Hibernians	32	21	4	7	72	34	45
Valletta	32	17	8	7	70	29	36
Sliema	32	16	6	10	48	32	36
Tarxien	32	14	6	12	53	51	29
Mosta	32	11	2	19	45	72	18
Floriana (-2)	32	14	10	8	48	38	38
Qormi	32	15	4	13	61	50	34
Balzan	32	9	9	14	48	61	23
Rabat Ajax	32	6	9	17	38	60	22
Ħamrun (-1)	32	6	5	21	39	88	14
Melita	32	4	8	20	31	78	13