Title race and battle against relegation continues

BOV Premier League 2023/24 Match Day 23 Preview

Santa Lucia v Marsaxlokk (Today, Centenary Stadium, 18h)
Match Day 23 kicks off this evening as Santa Lucia will be looking to secure valuable points to push them further out of the relegation zone. Both sides are looking to bounce back from their last weekend half-slip, both finishing in a 1-1 draw, Marsaxlokk against Gzira United, whilst the Saints faced a relegation battle against fellow strugglers Mosta. Marsaxlokk however also need points in view to propel them closer to a European spot come next season.
The first-round encounter between the sides ended in a sensational 3-0 win for the Seasiders, who will be looking to repeat a similar scoreline that would enable them to move even closer to their end of their season objective. They need to do without midfielder Jake Ghio, who needs to sit out a one-match ban due to the accumulated yellow card rule. It will be the 20^th encounter in history between the two, with the Lucians just winning three, the last one in 2015 in the 3^rd Division (5-1). Marsaxlokk won 10 of the 19 previous games, the other six ended in a draw.

Floriana v Mosta (Tomorrow, National Stadium, 14h)
The leaders will be vying to continue their recent formidable run, coming for this match in high spirits after their derby win over Valletta, that made it seven wins on the trot for the Greens in all competitions. In recent weeks, the side led by coach Mauro Camoranesi has taken the bull by its horns in terms of intensity, direct football, personality, and desire, with one aim in sight to make it a historical campaign pursuing both league title and cup glory.
At this tail end no match is easy, Mosta will be coming to these 90 minutes with no pressure, fully aware their chances of securing points on the board are limited, however they will be firing with one of their final possibilities to avoid the drop after 13 consecutive years in the top flight. Two defeats and a draw in their last three league outings does not make good reading for the Blues as time is starting to run out in their pursue to their end of season ambitions, thus their prime objective of avoiding the drop.
Floriana emerged comfortable winners when the sides met in the reverse fixture early December with a 3-0 victory. Last season however, Floriana failed to beat Mosta (1-1, 0-2) and the last six MPL games between the two have been split perfectly into two wins each and two draws. Both sides have no suspension issues tomorrow.

Gzira United v Hamrun Spartans (Tomorrow, National Stadium, 16h15)
By the time they emerge on the field of play, champions Hamrun Spartans will be fully aware of the result of their fellow title challengers. A solid 2-0 win over Birkirkara settled the nerves for the Spartans after quite a turbulent week that ensued their Cup elimination, also meaning their double ambitions are completely over. Against Gzira United they are expected to notch the all three points, noting that the Maroons are not done yet in their quest for survival, albeit relishing a good run of results in the second period of this campaign. Potentially, two more wins could be enough for side led by coach Andrw Cohen, also depending on some of the results elsewhere. They could also look ahead with high spirits for their Trophy semifinal come end of season and their possibility to sign off in style at this business end of the season.
A narrow but significant 2-1 win for Spartans when the sides met in the first-round fixture, a similar score-line would surely suffice for Hamrun in their hunt to regain top spot in the standings. In fact, the Spartans managed to beat the seasiders in their last four MPL games. They need to do without two influential players as Joseph Mbong and Uros Djuranovic are suspended.

Birkirkara v Gudja United (Sunday, Tony Bezzina Stadium, 14h)
Last weekend’s defeat of Birkirkara against Hamrun has meant they dropped one further position in the league table now with four games left for each side, having been overtaken by Naxxar Lions. The Stripes are four points adrift of fourth place, therefore mathematically still within touching distance in their pursuit of securing fourth place. In real terms this possibility is all but over for the simple reason they also must rely on results of the three other sides above them, all vying strongly for fourth spot. Three points in the 90 minutes ahead are within reach for the side led by coach Jose Borg against a winless and already relegated Gudja United side, who were arguably one of the worse achievers in recent Premier League history, with a poor return of six points all recorded through draw results, over the entire course of this campaign. However, the Gudjans kept Birkirkara on a 1-1 draw in the first-round fixture, a clear warning towards the Stripes not to take things lightly. It will be the 18^th encounter between the two in history, with Birkirkara winning nine of the previous 17, six draws and just two Gudja victories. Ali Diakite is suspended for Birkirkara.

Balzan v Sliema Wanderers (Sunday, National Stadium, 14h)
Same situation of Gzira United also counts for Balzan, who are not safe from the drop yet and still need a considerable number of points in the last four games of the campaign before total certainty. They are facing a Sliema Wanderers side who have failed to win in their last two league encounters, however third spot could be ensured if they manage to pull off one more victory from their remaining matches.
Proceedings between these two are always rather tight, in the first round fixture Sliema emerged 1-0 winners, as they will be pushing to end in style this magnificent season they managed to deliver. The overall balance weighs in favour of Balzan however, with 15 wins in 34 mutual encounters. The Blues won 12 and the other seven ended in a draw. Both sides have one player missing due to suspension, two defenders as these are Ivan Bozovic (Balzan) and Henrique Freire Murilo for the Wanderers.

Naxxar Lions v Sirens (Sunday, Tony Bezzina Stadium, 16h15)
One final push for George Vella’s Naxxar is needed, who are seven points above the relegation zone and who will face Sirens who are also already relegated into the second-tier next season. An opportunity for Lions to continue with their rise, as three more points would see them in a very good position to push forward with even an outside chance for fourth place. Three wins and a draw for Lions in their last four league outings, a scintillating run further labelling them as one of the highest achievers this season in comparison to their early season targets. They will be seeking to go one step ahead from their first-round result against Sirens, when the 90 minutes between the sides ended in a 1-1 draw. In fact, Naxxar have not beaten Sirens in their last three outings, the other two being played during the 2018/19 1^st Division campaign. Therefore, their last victory over the St Paul’s Bay based side was recorded in 2017 (2-1), seven years ago. Brazilian winger Gilberto Carrara is still suspended for the side of Steve D’Amato, who is expected to field a few youngsters in his match day squad once again.

Hibernians v Valletta (Sunday, National Stadium, 16h15)
This will be a clash between two traditional sides in need of very important points for completely different reasons. Hibernians still aim to finish fourth and keep alive their slim European chances while, perhaps, the points are more purposeful for Valletta, as they are facing an uphill struggle and a dreadful possibility of ending up relegated, an unimaginable outcome for the proud club of the capital.
Considering their usual standards this has been a failing season for the Paolites, albeit it was a transition one with significant changes in their playing staff over recent months. However, they would not let their slim chances of European Qualification slip away, therefore will be fully concentrated in trying to secure three valuable points.
On the other hand, the gap is widening between Valletta and the nearest position outside the relegation zone. Their recent run of results has been utterly dreadful with three draws and five defeats in their last eight league encounters, a kind of form that saw their league position plummet significantly. It’s time to bounce back in an emphatic manner and put some wins together in their last four league outings, although most are of the opinion it is already too late.
The first-round game saw Hibernians secure a solid 2-0 win result over the Lilywhites. The fixture is a real classic in Maltese football, played exactly 250 times in all competitions, the fourth most played encounter in history of Maltese football. Valletta won 111 games, Hibernians 81 and there were 58 draws. Looking at the last 10 games played between the two, they keep each other in perfect balance with 3 wins each and four draws. Should Hibernians find the net, it will be their 300^th goal against Valletta, while the Citizens scored 371 times against the Peacocks.
Both coaches have no suspension worries for this clash.