Stripes, City in battle for second place
by Ayrton Galea - 24th April 2015
Birkirkara FC will be all-out to make a significant step towards securing the second place in the BOV Premier League this evening, when in a match that will face-off the biggest rivalry in Maltese Football for the last twenty years, they take on Valletta FC.
With the BOV Premier League title wrapped and sealed by Hibernians with three matches to go, the attention will now turn on the battle for the second place, between Birkirkara and Valletta.
Birkirkara can make an important step in their aspirations for the second place if they manage to beat Valletta. They are laying one point on the former Champions and a victory would put them four points ahead with just two matches to go. On the other hand, a draw and even a win for Valletta would leave the race for the second place wide open.
The Stripes recovered from the disappointing 2-2 draw against Qormi with a dramatic victory over Zebbug Rangers with a 3-1 score thanks to two goals deep into stoppage time by Ryan Camenzuli and Ellinton Morais. Thanks to this victory, they extended their unbeaten streak to eighteen matches.
On the other hand, Valletta will be seeking to recover from the six-goal thriller that saw them sharing the spoils in a 3-3 draw against Sliema Wanderers. This draw enabled Birkirkara to overcome them in the second place. The Citizens, who have now conceded the crown to Hibs, are unbeaten in the last seven matches.
At the start of the season, the Super Cup was won by Birkirkara after they beat Valletta 2-1. The same two teams met twice in the Premier League. The Stripes won the first-round encounter 2-0, thanks to goals by Rafael Ledesma and Ellinton Morais while in the second round, a late goal by Roderick Briffa saved a point for Valletta in a 1-1 draw.
Both teams will be boosted with the return of important players. Birkirkara will have Joseph Zerafa and Mauricio Mazzetti back while Valletta will have Hamza Barry and Luke Dimech returning to their fold. All four players will be back following a one-match suspension, after collecting their fourth yellow card.
The match will be played at the National Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 19:00.
Come on the Stripes!
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