Valletta have enjoyed an almost flawless season so far as their imperious position at the summit of the Premier League fully illustrates.

In their 17-match unbeaten run, the runaway leaders have attained victories over all the teams in the top flight bar one… rivals Floriana.

A goalless stalemate against Valletta in the first round sparked Floriana’s revival as the Greens went on to climb up the table and seal their place in the Championship Pool with something to spare.

Expectations of a high-octane derby are sky-high as these two adversaries are determined to wrap up their first-phase commitments on a high note by winning their direct clash this afternoon (4 p.m.).

Floriana captain Brian Said acknowledged that the derby exerts added pressure on the players but it also reinforces their motivation.

“We know that this fixture carries special importance for the club and the supporters,” Said said.

“In the build-up to this game, you notice that the atmosphere among the fans is different.

“As far as the players are concerned, we’re prepared and confident that we can win any match.

“Coming from two defeats in a row, our aim is to return to winning ways and the derby is the perfect opportunity to do that.”

Todor Raykov, the Floriana coach, is concerned about the fitness of Nigerian striker Daniel Nwoke who missed the last two games with a thigh problem.

Bulgarian forward Dragomir Draganov is doubtful and Thomas Paris is ruled out by suspension but on the plus side, Tyrone Farrugia and Manolito Micallef are back in the reckoning after serving a one-match ban.

Until a few weeks ago, Floriana were being touted as potential title challengers after piecing a four-match winning run to go second in the table but defeats to Tarxien and Sliema have hampered their chances of producing a last-ditch assault for the league crown.

With a 13-point cushion at the top, Valletta are everyone’s favourites to capture the title and Said admitted that the leaders will take some stopping.

“You have to give Valletta the respect they deserve because they are the leaders and still unbeaten after 17 matches,” Said observed.

“At this stage, they have a significant advantage at the top and the fight for second place between Tarxien, Birkirkara and us will favour Valletta because these teams will be taking points off each other.”

Floriana’s presence in the elite part of the table has enhanced the allure of today’s derby in the eyes of Gilbert Agius, the City captain.

“The derby elicits added motivation,” Agius said. “The hype surrounding this weekend’s clash is even greater than before because the two teams are in the upper part of the standings.

“The atmosphere in our squad is very good…this season has been very positive for Valletta so far.”

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Ħamrun Spartans was only the fifth time Valletta had failed to win a match this season.

Agius, who turns 37 later this month, is hopeful that the stalemate turns out to be a blessing in disguise for the Citizens.

“This season, all teams are, by and large, at the same level,” the Valletta talisman said.

“If you’re not 100 per cent concentrated, you can easily drop points. I believe that the draw in our last game will spur all the players in our squad to be more focused in order to avoid a repeat of the mistakes we did against Ħamrun.”

Valletta’s inexorable march this season has led to suggestions that the title race is already as good as over but Agius thinks differently.

“If the league format was not as it is and teams keep the points they have, then I would say that we’re close to winning the title but that’s not the case because the points will be halved at the end of the second round,” Agius said.

“This is our last match of the second round and we hope to finish this phase with a positive result.

“Our aim is to do everything we can to win but I know that for our fans, a win in the derby means much more than three points.”

Midfielder Ryan Fenech is expected to miss today’s match after picking up a hamstring injury in the draw against his former team but otherwise, coach Jesmond Zerafa has no selection problems.

Jamie Pace is expected to return for Valletta after recovering from injury. The combative midfielder made a substitute’s appearance in Malta’s goalless draw against Switzerland on Wednesday.

First round – Valletta vs Floriana 0-0.