The 2018-19 Premier League came to an end on Saturday as Valletta retained their title after a dramatic penalty shoot-out over Hibernians. It was the perfect finale to what has been one of the most tense championships witnessed for many years. The Times of Malta Sports Desk takes a look on the performances of all 14 teams in the top-flight this season.
1. VALLETTA - 58 points (champions)
Tenacity and determination were the hallmarks behind Valletta’s 25th Premier League triumph. Despite starting their title defence in the worse possible manner following defeats to Sliema Wanderers and Hibernians, the Citizens showed all their champions pedigree by finding a way back to title contention with a run of nine wins from their next 10 matches.
The second round was not short of setbacks as defeats to Hibs and neighbours Floriana might have given the impression that the title was heading away from the capital.
But the City players kept their calm and used all their experience to nose back in front.
They looked home and dry when taking the lead against Ħamrun Spartans in their final match but a Donneil Moukanza’s injury time equaliser forced them to a title decider against Hibs.
The failure to close out the championship in such dramatic fashion would break any team but not Valletta who in the title decider gave a clear display of their mental strength when winning a tense shooting to prove once more that they are the top dogs in Maltese football.
TOP THREE: 1. Miguel Alba; 2. Steve Borg; 3. Mario Fontanella.
LEAGUE RATING: 9.
2. HIBERNIANS - 58 points
They may have missed out on the league title in the most dramatic of circumstances but Hibernians deserve all the plaudits for an impressive campaign.
When Stefano Sanderra took charge of the team last summer, nobody thought that the Paolites could challenge for the championship.
But the Italian coach and his players surprised everyone with their free-flowing attacking football that took the championship by storm.
The loss of Jurgen Degabriele to a serious knee injury was a huge blow to the Hibs machine but that was somewhat tampered with the capture of Jake Grech who contributed with some crucial goals that enabled them to maintain their title challenge.
Unfortunately, Hibs were found wanting in terms of experience in key moments but surely the Paola fans can bank on this team to launch another title challenge next season.
TOP THREE: 1. Andrei Agius; 2. Taylon; 3. Jake Grech.
TEAM RATING: 8.5.
3. GŻIRA UNITED - 50 points.
The 2018-19 league campaign must have left mixed emotions to the Gżira United clan as for much of the season they had given the impression that they could challenge Valletta and Hibernians for this year’s crown.
However, the loss of their chief striker Amadou Samb to a serious knee injury in November coupled with a lean patch at the start of the second round put paid to their title aspirations.
The fact that many of their overseas reinforcements during the January transfer window struggled to adapt in the first weeks further complicated their plans and had to settle with a third-place finish for a second successive season and qualification to the Europa League.
However, if Gżira United are to challenge for the title they need to be more consistent and build an even stronger base of players to cope better with injuries and suspensions.
TOP THREE: 1. Andrew Cohen; 2. Haruna Garba; 3. Justin Haber.
TEAM RATING: 7.5.
4. ĦAMRUN SPARTANS - 46 points.
Ħamrun Spartans were one of the revelations of the 2018-19 season. Giovanni Tedesco has managed to build a solid outfit that revelled in sound tactical organisation and physical power.
Tedesco deserves much of the praise for the Spartans’ excellent campaign this season as he completely rebuilt the squad from scratch from the previous campaign. The arrival of defensive duo Orestis Nikolopoulos and Enrico Pepe turned the Spartans’ defence into a fortress to finish as the second-best rearguard in the championship with only 22 goals conceded.
A fourth-place finish in the Premier League campaign is a marvellous achievement for the Reds. It’s important now for the Spartans to keep the base of their squad and with more sound investment it will not be long before we see them challenging for top honours.
TOP THREE: 1. Enrico Pepe; 2. Triston Caruana; 3. Kevin Tulimieri.
TEAM RATING: 8.
5. SLIEMA WANDERERS - 45 points.
A season which had started with so much promise failed to provide European football to Sliema Wanderers. The Blues, buoyed by the capture of Ryan Fenech and Younes Marzouk, among other had looked like they had what it takes to challenge at least for a European berth.
However, after a bright first part to the campaign, the team seemed to lose their plot and slipped behind their top four rivals.
The arrival of Stefano Maccoppi steadied the ship and a strong run of results seemed to have put the Wanderers back in contention. However, their inconsistency in the final part of the league campaign cost them dearly as they missed out on European qualification.
Injuries to key players such as Mark Scerri, Jean Paul Farrugia and Alex Muscat cost them dearly and need to bring a couple of quality signings in midfield and upfront to ensure a more solid platform for next season.
TOP THREE: 1. Younes Marzouk; 2. Ryan Fenech; 3. Matias Muchardi.
TEAM RATING: 6.5.
6. BALZAN - 43 points.
The 2018-19 league trek was disappointing for a Balzan team who in the previous two seasons challenged for the title.
After a brilliant showing in the Europa League qualifiers, the Reds failed to take their form in the domestic league.
In fact for much of the first six months of the campaign, Balzan looked out of sorts, dropping points against less-fancied opposition.
The appointment of Jacques Scerri for Marko Micovic in February was a good decision but at that point the damage was done and despite a strong finish to the league campaign it was still not enough for a top four finish.
The departure of Alex Alves, Kadu’s fitness problems and the inconsistent form of Uros Ljubomirac and Andrija Majdevac further complicated their plans.
Quality signings are needed if Balzan are to be among the protagonists next season.
TOP THREE: 1. Ricardo Correa; 2. Elkin Serrano Valero; 3. Paul Fenech.
TEAM RATING: 6.
7. BIRKIRKARA - 39 points.
This has been truly a very poor season by Birkirkara standards. Despite the club’s sound investment during the summer, the Stripes struggled to perform to the levels one expected.
The club’s decision to make coach Paul Zammit as the scapegoat for the team’s struggles came back to haunt them.
What followed next was even more shambolic as the club’s decision to appoint John Arne Riise as Sporting Director failed to provide the desired dividends as the Norwegian only stayed in the job for less than two months.
Added to that the decision to make another squad overhaul in the January transfer window further increased the confusion.
Surely, a huge summer is expected at Birkirkara where the club’s hierarchy must sit down and plot a serious plan for next season to bring the team back to the top echelons of Maltese football.
TOP THREE: 1. Matthew Guillaumier; 2. Danilo Chapoval; 3. Luke Montebello.
TEAM RATING: 5.
8. FLORIANA - 32 points.
This year’s championship offered little cause of satisfaction for Floriana.
Two coaching changes in the first part of the season mirrored the struggles experienced by the Greens as the majority of the summer signings failed to deliver with the club forced to another overhaul in the January window.
A team that was initially planned to challenge for a place in Europe, Floriana ended engulfed in a battle to secure their top-flight status.
It’s clear that Floriana must inject more quality in their squad if they are to return among the top teams in the division next season.
TOP THREE: 1. Arthur Oyama; 2. Enzo Ruiz; 3. Tiago Galvao.
TEAM RATING: 5.
9. MOSTA - 29 points.
Mosta may have found the going tough early in the season but the arrival of coach Mark Miller at the club turned out to be their trump card to fulfil their season ambition as the Englishman brought much-needed stability at the club.
This was mirrored in the team’s improved showings in the latter stages of the championship which saw them lose just two of their last nine matches. Mosta cannot continue to flirting above the relegation season after season or they risk to jeopardise their top-flight status.
With Miller at the helm, they have someone who can help the club make a leap in quality but a serious project must be in place.
TOP THREE: 1. Andreas Vella; 2. Juri Cisotti; 3. Akeem Roach.
TEAM RATING: 6.5.
10. SENGLEA ATHLETIC - 26 points.
Senglea Athletic were authors of one of the greatest escapes in recent seasons with a stunning second round performance to secure their top-flight status for a second campaign.
Firmly rooted in the relegation zone up until December, the Cottonera outing made a complete overhaul of their first-team squad, bringing in some quality overseas players that transformed their fortunes.
In the second part of the season, Senglea were the most in-form side of the division picking up 22 points from their last 13 matches to finish outside of the relegation places.
Should they retain the majority of their squad for next season, the Cottonera outfit may harbour hopes of a more tranquil campaign.
TOP THREE: 1. Leighton Grech; 2. Diego Venancio; 3. Augusto Caceres.
TEAM RATING: 7.
11. TARXIEN RAINBOWS - 26 points.
Tarxien Rainbows secured their top-flight status courtesy of a consistent run of results against teams in the lower half of the standings.
In fact, the Rainbows registered wins against all their relegation rivals which helped them reassure themselves of another year of Premier League action with more ease.
However, for the experience and quality they have in the squad such as winger Ricardinho, former Birkirkara forward Alex Nilsson and Michele Paolucci, who has Serie A experience, one would have expected something more from Jose Borg’s clan.
Undoubtedly, one of the inspiring figures at the club was Jens Wemmer who was decisive in various games of the season – the versatile player has Bundesliga experience having played for Paderborn in 2015.
TOP THREE: 1. Jens Wemmer; 2. Gabriel Aquilina; 3. Ricardinho.
TEAM RATING: 5.5.
12. ST ANDREWS - 24 points (relegated).
An unexpected drop for St Andrews who after collecting important points on the road in the first half, their form declined massively, ending up in the relegation play-off where they were battered by Division One side Sta Luċija.
The departures of key players like Kevaughn Atkinson and Amoy Brown contributed for the Saints to gain only eight points in 13 outings.
Banking on their youth talent can be the way forward for the club to return to the top-flight.
TOP THREE: 1. Martin Davis; 2. Alex Satariano; 3. Jacob Walker.
TEAM RATING: 4.
13. QORMI - 20 points (relegated)
A late rally in the season run-in was not enough for Qormi to avoid the drop.
After a difficult start to their top-flight campaign, the Yellow Blacks had revamped the squad with the appointment of Mario Muscat as coach and the arrival of new players including Antonio Rozzi, former Lazio player with Serie A and Europa League experience.
Despite beating teams like Floriana and Hibs, Qormi’s early defeats against relegation rivals like Mosta and Senglea proved costly.
The emergence of Maltese midfielder Yannick Yankam was a pleasant surprise for Qormi
TOP THREE: 1. Yannick Yankam; 2. Antonio Rozzi; 3. Tensior Gusman.
TEAM RATING: 5.
14. PIETA HOTSPURS - 13 points (relegated).
Ten points in the first round, with some fine showings had lifted Pieta’s chances of salvation.
Moreover, with probably the youngest squad in the top-flight, it looked like that the Hotspurs were making a proper case for using youth players in the Premier League.
Yet, despite the addition of experienced players such as Stefan Radovanovic from Tarxien Rainbows, the team failed to repeat the same performances and although a 2-0 win over St Andrews in the final stages of the season revived their slim hopes of staying up, Pieta looked destined for the drop.
Nonetheless, the club deserves credit for leaving coach Ramon Zammit working with youth players despite it was not always paying dividends on the field.
TOP THREE: 1. Paul Chimezie; 2. Jan Busuttil; 3. Neil Pace Cocks.
TEAM RATING: 4.5.