The final verdicts of the 2016-17 BOV Premier League will be settled this week when the remaining matches of this year’s campaign are played.
With Hibernians fans awaiting impatiently for their crowning as Malta champions at the end of tomorrow’s derby against Tarxien Rainbows, there are still two issues to be decided.
Valletta and Birkirkara are battling it out to claim third spot in the final standings, a position that could earn them a place in next season’s Europa League qualifiers.
In Birkirkara’s case a third-place finish would still not guarantee them European football as they will then have to wait the outcome of their appeal after their application for a UEFA Licence was rejected by the Malta FA.
At the other end of the table, Mosta and Pembroke will be involved in a direct decider to avoid bottom spot in the standings that would condemn them to First Division football next season.
Valletta and Birkirkara, currently tied on 59 points, will be looking to gain maximum spoils from their final assignment against Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana, respectively, but it will be far from a straightforward task.
The Citizens have slumped into a mini-crisis in the last fortnight as back-to-back defeats to St Andrews and Tarxien Rainbows have put their Euro ambitions in jeopardy.
They will hope to rediscover their winning touch today to at least force a decider against the Stripes.
However, the Spartans will be no pushovers as Jacques Scerri’s men are coming into the match on the back of a spirited performance which saw them hold second-placed Balzan to a 1-1 draw, a result that has practically ended Oliver Spiteri’s team title dreams.
Paul Zammit, the Valletta coach, is boosted by the return of defender Steve Borg who has now completed a four-match ban but Jonathan Caruana is out suspended.
Ħamrun will have to do without wingback Manolito Micallef who must serve a one-match ban but on a more positive note Karl Micallef returns after missing the Balzan match due to suspension.
Birkirkara must end a barren run against Floriana this season if they are to keep alive their hopes of stretching an uninterrupted 20-year-presence in European club competitions.
Floriana held the Stripes to a 1-1 draw in the first round while in the second round the Greens went on to claim a 2-1 win.
However, since that second-round upset to Floriana, Birkirkara have embarked on an impressive 10-match unbeaten run that has put them back in the reckoning for a European spot and coach Nikola Jaros will hope his players can finish off their campaign in style with victory over the Greens.
The Croatian coach welcomes back into the fray key players as Srdjan Dimitrov and Miguel Alba return from suspension after skipping the team’s 1-1 draw against Gżira United last weekend.
Floriana, on the otherhand, will have to do without striker Mario Fontanella and defender Jurgen Pisani who must serve a one-match ban.
The game between Mosta and Pembroke, the two teams sharing bottom spot in the table, could resolve this season’s relegation issue.
The winner of today’s match will go on and contest a relegation/promotion play-off against Qormi, who placed fourth in the Division One, while the losers will drop to Division One next season.
If the match ends all square, both Mosta and Pembroke will have to meet again, in all probability next week, in a relegation decider.
Mosta’s build-up to the match has been hampered by the news that the Malta FA Board of Appeal had rejected their complaint against the governing body’s decision to dock the Blues five points and fine them 5,000 euros for effecting illegal payments to one of their foreign players.
Johann Scicluna, the Mosta coach, can rely on Brazilian forward Pedrinho who returns after serving a one-match ban.
Pembroke, on their part, will be without wingback Miguel Attard, who is suspended.
Playing today
Hibs Stadium: 6pm Sliema Wanderers vs Balzan; 8pm Floriana vs Birkirkara.
National Stadium: 6pm Mosta vs Pembroke; 8pm Ħamrun Spartans vs Valletta.
Tomorrow
National Stadium: 4pm Tarxien vs Hibernians.