Leaders Birkirkara are determined to kickstart their Top Six commitments in some style when they face champions Ħamrun Spartans in the top fixture at the National Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off: 2.15pm).
Birkirkara have so far enjoyed a dominant campaign in the 360 Sports Malta Premier as the Stripes have enjoyed an almost perfect run in the Opening Round and that was only tainted by a 3-1 defeat to nearest rivals Floriana in their final first-phase fixture just before the international break.
Despite that setback, Birkirkara are still in the driving seat to claim top spot in the Opening Round as they are currently enjoying a commanding five-point lead over nearest rivals Floriana before all teams in the Top Six play their final five matches to provide the early verdicts at the end of the first championship.
Given that a top-two placing will ensure a shot at winning the Premier League title in the final weeks of the season, Birkirkara will be hell-bent to finish off what they have started, and a win against the Spartans will certainly push them closer to their pre-set goal.
Stefano De Angelis, the Birkirkara coach, admitted that the team’s defeat to Floriana was a major setback for his players who were coming from a very strong run of results, but he is expecting a strong response from his players this afternoon.
“We know that every match is decisive,” De Angelis said.
“Our weaknesses were evident in the last game, as we lacked the necessary mental intensity.
“However, I’m confident my players will bounce back because we all understand that every match is like a final.
“Our aim is to hold onto this top spot, which we have worked hard to maintain throughout the campaign.
“Matches are often decided by small episodes, and we’ve worked hard to avoid repeating the same mistakes we made against Floriana in the upcoming match against Ħamrun Spartans.
“We don’t hide the fact that it hasn’t been easy for Ħamrun Spartans with their absentees, but Montebello’s return is significant, as he’s an important figure in this league and I am sure we will have to be at our best as they are capable of providing us with a tough challenge.”
De Angelis is boosted by the return from injury of captain Kurt Zammit who has recovered from a dislocated shoulder that kept him out of the game for the last six matches.
“It hasn’t been easy coming back from my dislocated shoulder injury,” Zammit said.
“When you have a team that has been playing so well in the last few weeks, bar in the defeat against Floriana, it’s difficult to get back into the team.
“But I’ve been working very hard to rediscover my best condition and I am at the coach’s disposal.
“Staying at the top of the table is what matters most, though I’m giving my all to regain my place in the starting eleven.
“We’ve played 11 finals so far, and while the defeat in the last match was a setback, we’d have gladly signed up for this position at the start of the campaign.”
On the other hand, the Spartans, who snatched the final spot in the Top Six courtesy of a last-gasp 2-1 win over Gżira United, will hope to find some kind of consistency and pick up some points to at least finish among the top four teams.
Alessandro Zinnari, the Ħamrun Spartans coach, said the priority is to recover the injured players and is delighted to have last season’s leading scorer Luke Montebello back in the fray.
The Italian coach, however, must do without Ryan Camenzuli and Sven Xerri who picked up injuries with their respective national team selections while Chris Ondong and Eder are still out.
On a more positive note, Steve Borg has returned to training but it remains to be seen if he will be available to at least make the squad on Saturday.
“We know the challenge ahead against Birkirkara, but our goal is to build on the positives from the match against Gżira,” Zinnari said.
“The players have shown their willingness to continue progressing and to bounce back strongly from the difficult weeks we’ve endured. The goal for us is to try and be consistent and if possible, try and force our way into the top four.”
On his part, Montebello was delighted to have finally recovered full fitness and said that the players are fully motivated to get the team where it deserves to be.
“We started the season aiming to maximize our opportunities and to maintain the standards we set in previous campaigns,” Montebello said.
“Although we’ve encountered some obstacles along the way, we still need to push further to achieve our objectives.
“We’re preparing for every match with the expectation to win. Playing under pressure motivates us, and we’ll give our total effort to extend our winning run
