In May, Hibs defied the odds when pipping Valletta to the Premier League title after a goalless draw in a cagey final-day showdown secured top spot for the Paolites.
Five months on, these two rivals will lock horns for the first time in the 2009/10 season tonight (kick-off 7.30 p.m.) but Hibs face an uphill struggle to halt Valletta’s unbeaten start and stay in touch with the front-runners.
While Valletta are in buoyant mood after a 2-0 win over high-fliers Qormi on Monday gave them a three-point lead at the top, Hibs suffered another late meltdown on Sunday as they blew a two-goal lead in the final six minutes of their clash with Birkirkara.
Hibs’ quest of making a solid start to their title defence has been seriously undermined by an injury crisis and coach Mark Miller yesterday said that some of his key personnel may be asked to play through the pain barrier today because his resources are stretched to the limit.
Andrew Cohen, the team’s inspirational midfielder, and Ben Camilleri are definitely out of today’s encounter due to injuries while the likes of Jonathan Caruana, Ryan Camilleri, Christian Callejas, Aaron Xuereb and Elkien Cauchi are also struggling.
“The situation is desperate,” Miller said when asked for an update on Hibs’ injury list. “We’ve got so many players who are not fully-fit. I just hope that they work hard and make it difficult for Valletta. We’re playing the in-form team of the Premier League and we’re the out-of-form side.
“If I’m the Valletta coach I’d be happy to be playing Hibs now but football can be unpredictable.
“Look at Milan in the Champions League. Milan were off-form going into their match against Real Madrid but they played well and won.
“I hope we can do the same against Valletta. Man for man, we can give Valletta a hard time. I know that we’ve played badly in our first four matches but we’ve always scored and that is a very big positive. We have leaked many goals but that’s because we were unable to field the same defence.
“These are problems all coaches face during the season. When everyone is fit, we’re one of the teams who can stop Valletta from walking away with the title.”
Valletta have so far justified their billing as hot favourites for the title with a run of four victories and a draw in their opening five games. Miller acknowledged that Hibs and the other title hopefuls have a massive task stopping Valletta who have opened up a six-point gap over the Paolites but the latter have a game in hand.
“We know that they (Valletta) have the national team and the national team reserves,” Miller said.
“Most of their players are also full-time professionals and these things can make a massive difference.”
While Miller is grappling with a crippling casualty list, Ton Caanen, the Valletta coach, has an abundance of resources. For the match against Qormi, the Dutchman elected to leave Jordi Cruyff and Dyson Falzon out of the squad but both are expected to be recalled today.
Early days these may be but the Citizens have already beaten the likes of Birkirkara, Sliema Wanderers and rivals Floriana in their first five outings. Yet, their first clash with the reigning champions carries extra significance for the City fans after their neck-and-neck race for the title last season.
“When I look at the club and the fans, I can understand why this match means so much to Valletta,” Caanen said. “Hibs were Valletta’s main rivals for the title last season and they were eventually crowned champions. This season, we have already had some big games against Floriana, Sliema and Qormi and I’m concentrating on this match like I do for all the other fixtures.”
Hibs’ troubles to get their season up and running haven’t been lost on Caanen but the Dutchman expects the Paolites to come through this bumpy patch.
“Every club goes through a difficult period during the season,”
Caanen said. “I’m sure that Hibs will be in the top places of the table come the end of the season. They are still a good side and their coach is very experienced.
“I’m looking forward to the match. I like to be involved in games where both teams play to win. I’m sure that Miller is not looking at his team’s position in the standings. He’s preparing his team to give a good performance.
“Everyone wants to beat Valletta, especially now that we’re on top. There is always pressure on us but we have the players who know how to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, Valletta striker Terrence Scerri was yesterday named BOV player of the month for September.