Birkirkara coach Paul Zammit observed on Thursday that the battle for Premier League supremacy effectively takes off at the outset of the Championship Pool but with his team 10 points off the title pace, a defeat to leaders Valletta would deal a severe blow to the Stripes’ chances of holding on to their crown.

A bumper crowd is expected at the National Stadium (kick-off 4 p.m.) amid soaring expectations of another pulsating encounter between Valletta and Birkirkara.

If the champions are thrilled by the prospect of denting Valletta’s unbeaten record, the latter must be relishing the opportunity to inflict further damage to the Stripes’ ambitions.

Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa is backing his team to make a flying start to the new year.

“This is our first game of 2011,” he said.

“Our aim is to continue where we left off before Christmas. This will be a difficult match but I have faith in my players.”

Some Valletta players were down with flu during the week but Zerafa is hopeful that they will recover in time.

Boasting a seven-point lead over second-placed Tarxien at the top, Valletta are seen as hot favourites to be crowned champions come May but Zerafa poured cold water on suggestions that the Whites will walk away with the title.

“There’s still a long way to go,” Zerafa warned.

“I don’t agree with comments that Valletta have already won the league because that’s not the case. Football is full of episodes that can turn things upside down. We’re just trying to stay focused to maintain our advantage at the top.”

Throughout their 12-match unbeaten run, Valletta won nine games and drew the other three.

One of those draws came in the first-round match against Birkirkara who made the Citizens pay for their failure to take their chances, including a second-half penalty, by snatching a late equaliser courtesy of Trevor Cilia.

“Our performance in the first-round game against Birkirkara was probably one of the best we had this season but we didn’t win,” Zerafa remarked.

“In football, there are no guarantees that if you play well, you will win. We have to keep working hard to succeed… the players are aware of what happened last year.

“There’s no doubt that a win over Birkirkara would be a boost for us but I’m looking at the bigger picture. Our objective is to maintain consistency.”

For Zammit, today’s clash is not a do-or-die affair but he nevertheless expects both teams to give their all to emerge victorious.

“In the last few years, games between Birkirkara and Valletta have always generated significant interest,” Zammit said.

“It’s the fixture that everyone looks forward to but it’s by no means decisive as we’re still in the early stages of the second round.

“With Valletta 10 points above us in the table, this game will certainly not decide the title race. As much as we want to get closer to the leaders, our immediate priority is to stay in touch with the top teams.

“Three points are a must for us at this stage. At present, we’re not thinking about the title race. Our short-term objective is to gain as many points as we can until the end of February in order to start the Championship Pool campaign in a strong position.”

The outbreak of influenza has complicated matters for Zammit who is already plagued by injuries to key players. Shaun Bajada and Rowen Muscat are recovering from flu while Trevor Cilia is still sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Scottish defender Ryan Harding is still out and Simon Zahra picked up a knee injury in training.

The Birkirkara mentor also has injury concerns about Nikola Vukanac, Patrick Borg and Andrew Decesare.

Goalkeeper Ezequiel Lovizon has had his contract terminated by Birkirkara.

In spite of these difficulties, Zammit still expects his team to put up a strong fight this afternoon.

“No-one can deny that Valletta have the best squad in the Premier League,” Zammit said.

“This was also the case in the previous two seasons but I think their squad is even more competitive this term and this shows in the results they’ve had so far. I expect a very tough match but I’m confident that my players will be up for it.

“As I’ve already said, I’m very happy with the commitment of my players. They have been working hard to help the team be consistent and competitive. The players are keen to challenge for the title. Their fighting spirit and unity were the hallmarks of our title success last year.

“This season, we’ve turned around matches thanks to the players’ resilience, even on days when we were without several important members of our squad.

“I believe that with the squad we have, we can hold our own against any opponent.”

First round – Birkirkara vs Valletta 2-2.