The 2018-19 Premier League champions will be crowned this evening when Valletta and Hibernians go head-to-head in a highly-anticipated title decider at the National Stadium (kick-off: 4.30pm). Valhmor Camilleri has more...

Today’s match provides the perfect finale to this year’s enthralling championship race that had seen Valletta and Hibernians playing a starring role with the two title rivals completing their league commitments tied at the top of the Premier League standings on 58 points after 26 matches.

Valletta and Hibernians head into today’s decider in completely contrasting moods.

On one hand, the Citizens are still coming to terms with the disappointment of seeing the championship trophy in the final seconds of their match against Ħamrun Spartans when they conceded a last-gasp equalizer.

The Paolites, on their part, are brimming with confidence after their impressive display in the 5-1 defeat of Balzan that enabled them to join the Citizens at the top of the standings.

Gilbert Agius, the Valletta caretaker coach, said that taking the events of last week in consideration Hibernians could be regarded to be in a stronger position.

 “When the club appointed me as caretaker coach for the last three matches of the season, I never thought that we would find ourselves in this position,” Agius told a news conference yesterday.

“Personally, given the results of last week, Hibernians will start as slight favourites. We are facing them in arguably their best moment of the season, following two excellent victories over Senglea Athletic and Balzan. Added to that they have improved considerably their points’ tally from last season and their morale is sky high.

“On the other hand, my team is still hurt by that late equaliser against Ħamrun Spartans and in a way that could play in our favour our players will take the field full of anger and will do all they can to try and make amends by winning the match and bring home the championship trophy.”

Agius will not be able to field his strongest formation as Raed Saleh, who saw red against Ħamrun Spartans, and Joseph Zerafa, who was reported by the match inspector after clashes with Spartans striker Wilfried Domoraud, are ruled out by suspension.

The Valletta coach is also monitoring the fitness of a number of players, including Ryan Camilleri and Miguel Alba who hobbled off with muscle complaints last weekend.

“It’s normal that when you come at the end of the season that players will be carrying out injuries,” Agius said.

“But we will put all our problems behind us and come kick off on Saturday we will put on the field the best 11 players we have and approach the encounter with one target in mind – to beat Hibernians and ensure we retain our status of Malta champions.”

On his part, Stefano Sanderra, the Hibernians coach, said that the title decider was certainly the ideal final chapter for this year’s league campaign and said that it’s up to the players to ensure they had a perfect ending.

“We are ready for this title decider,” Sanderra said.

“In my opinion, a title decider is the fairest way of deciding who should win the title given the excellent league trek both Valletta and Hibernians had this season.

“Hibernians have had a fairytale league campaign for us and what is missing is the final chapter that will be written on Saturday (today). It’s up to us to ensure that our story has a happy ending.

“I must congratulate my players for the character they have shown in the last few weeks, especially. After the defeat to Qormi I never thought that we could get back in the reckoning but they kept believing and their perseverance was rewarded.”

Santiago Malano heads the ball towards the Hibs goal during a league match this season. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

City backlash

The Hibernians coach didn’t agree with Agius’s stance that his team were the favourites for this match and said that he was fearing a strong backlash from the Valletta players from last week’s mini slip-up against Ħamrun.

“It’s a very delicate situation for us as we are up against a Valletta team who will be furious with what happened to them last week,” the Italian coach said.

“I personally think that the players must adopt the right approach tas the match could get complicated. We are coming from two excellent performances against Senglea Athletic and Balzan that put us in this position, but we have achieved nothing.

“If we take the pitch with a complacent approach, it would be our downfall as Valletta will destroy us.

“Every player on the pitch must work his socks off for the whole 90 minutes as we are playing against a team full of quality and who boast great experience in such situations.

“So we must remain with our feet rooted firmly on the ground and try to play our game with the right mindset and intensity and hopefully it will be enough to end this season in the perfect way.”

Sanderra said that apart from Jurgen Degabriele, who is out with a cruciate ligament injury, he should have all his players available as Marcelo Dias, who limped out against Balzan last week, should recover in time for the match.

Results so far: Hibernians vs Valletta 2-1; Valletta vs Hibernians 2-1.