Matchday 10 of the BOV Challenge League kicks off this weekend with an intriguing encounter between mid-table side Swieqi United and bottom-of-the-league Mtarfa FC at the Centenary Stadium.
Swieqi will be coming into the match as clear favourites due to their much superior league position, yet they have had quite a mix of results over recent weeks, ranging from impressive performances against Lija Athletic FC and Marsa FC, to a disappointing defeat to Sirens FC.
Mtarfa are coming off the back of an impressive draw against Pietà Hotspurs FC, looking very dangerous on the counter under new coach Rodney Bugeja. The point means that the Greens are now on four points and are well in with a chance of getting off the root of the table.
Mtarfa will take some spirit from the fact that they pushed Swieqi to the very limit in the Meridianbet FA Trophy earlier this month, with the Owls just about going through on penalties.
Mgarr United v Fgura United (21.12.24, Victor Tedesco Stadium, 14:00hrs)
Mgarr United will look to build on their recent win against Tarxien Rainbows FC as they welcome Fgura United to the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Saturday.
Mgarr have been very inconsistent over the season, yet they have been particularly strong defensively, having conceded just seven goals in the league so far this season. In their previous outing against Tarxien, they were in complete control of the match, looking very good on the ball and threatening the opposition’s goal on multiple occasions.
On the other hand, Fgura are coming off the back of back-to-back goalless draws, and were particularly disappointed in the previous encounter, as they failed to capitalise on a one-man advantage against a struggling Senglea Athletic FC team.
Senglea Athletic FC v Tarxien Rainbows (21.12.24, Victor Tedesco Stadium, 16:30hrs)
On their part, Senglea will be taking on Tarxien Rainbows, as they seek to recover from their negative run of games.
Both sides will be looking to get back into some sort of form, with Senglea being winless since September, while Tarxien have lost three consecutive league games. While Tarxien are still in ninth, they are risking dropping further down the table with a number of teams around them improving over recent weeks. Similarly, Senglea will need to improve given that the two teams below them, Lija Athletic FC and Mtarfa, looked much better last time out.
As previously mentioned, Senglea will be without their captain Steve Meilak for this match after he received a straight red card against Fgura in the previous match.
Gudja United v St Andrews FC (21.12.24, Centenary Stadium, 18:30hrs)
In Saturday’s final match, Gudja United will be welcoming a St Andrews FC side that is fresh off a resolute display against league leaders Valletta FC.
Gudja have been quite inconsistent over the season, yet their form in front of goal has improved over recent weeks. Last week, while they were in control against Zebbug Rangers FC, they had to settle for a point as they could not find the net more than once.
On the other hand, St Andrews were very impressive defensively against Valletta in the previous matchday, with many players putting their bodies on the line to make sure that they avoid defeat. However, they have been rather timid in attack, having scored just five goals this season.
This mid-table clash represents an opportunity for Gudja to pull away from the bottom half of the table, yet it is also a chance for St Andrews to close the gap and get themselves back into contention for the top half. Definitely one to watch.
Valletta FC v Zebbug Rangers FC (22.12.24, Centenary Stadium, 13:30hrs)
Valletta will be determined to get a win to make up for their setback last week, as they face off against a resolute Zebbug Rangers team at the Centenary Stadium.
The Lilywhites were held to a goalless draw against St Andrews, despite dominating large parts of the game. During the encounter, they had the better share of the opportunities, and they seemed most likely to score, yet they could not find the net.
On the other hand, Zebbug are coming off the back of a close encounter between them and Gudja which could have gone either way. During the match, they had to rely on a goal from the penalty spot from Duvan Mosquera to get the point.
Zebbug will also be without Owen Sciberras, who was sent off for a dangerous foul in the closing stages of the match against Gudja.
Given their stark difference in league positions, with Valletta being the leaders and Zebbug languishing in 11th, the Lilywhites will certainly be the favourites to come away with all three points, yet Zebbug have proven to be a tough team to break down for many sides this season. In fact, they have lost just two matches so far this season, but have won just once, with the remaining games all ending in draws.
Lija Athletic FC v Santa Lucia FC (22.12.24, Victor Tedesco Stadium, 14:30hrs)
Lija Athletic will be hoping to continue building on their much-improved display against Zurrieq FC this weekend against Santa Lucia FC, as they aim to lift themselves from the bottom spots of the standings.
Lija were denied a second win of the season thanks to a very late equaliser from Zurrieq, despite producing an impressive performance. If Lija are to get something from the match against Santa Lucia, they will have to look towards Renold Winchester, with the forward looking very dangerous in the previous matchday, proving to be a thorn in many sides’ defences this season.
Santa Lucia have been rejuvenated in recent matches, with them going on a run of four consecutive wins, winning against Sirens FC last week. They will be the clear-cut favourites for the match, yet they will have to do their best to avoid making the same mistakes that cost them at the start of the season, especially at the back.
The most recent meetings between the two sides came in the 2020/21 season, when they were both in the top tier. In that season, Santa Lucia won the encounter in the first half of the competition 3-2, while Lija won the second match 3-1.
Pietà Hotspurs FC v Marsa FC (22.12.24, Centenary Stadium, 19:30hrs)
Pietà Hotspurs FC and Marsa FC will play out one of two Sunday evening clashes in the league that could potentially decide who is in the title race and who is not.
Pietà are going into the game in horrible form, having picked up just one point from their last three games, and that draw came against Mtarfa, the team sitting bottom of the table. They will need to improve considerably, especially when considering the tough opposition that they will be facing.
Marsa have been one of the teams to watch this season, scoring in every game they have played, with their only defeat coming against Tarxien Rainbows very early in the campaign. Marsa’s most recent encounter came against Swieqi United, yet on that occasion they were held to a 1-1 draw, missing out on the opportunity to cut the gap from the top to just two points.
The most recent clash between these two sides came in the Play-Out Phase of the BOV Challenge League last season, during which Marsa came out on top, winning 3-0.
Sirens FC v Zurrieq FC (22.12.24, Victor Tedesco Stadium, 19:30hrs)
The second top-half clash will take place at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Sunday, as Sirens will seek to put their loss against Santa Lucia behind them as they face third-placed Zurrieq.
The two teams are currently only separated by a single point, with Sirens sitting in sixth, highlighting the close nature of the division towards the top and middle of the table.
Prior to the shock result against Santa Lucia, Sirens had gone on a positive run of results, with this being their first defeat since that in the opening game of the season. Sirens failed to get into their rhythm during that match, and they will need to regain the form that saw them score 15 goals in the first eight matches of the season.
On the other hand, Zurrieq had to rely on a stoppage time equaliser to avoid a shock defeat against Lija, with their usually strong defence being troubled on a number of occasions by the struggling side’s attack. Zurrieq have not scored many goals this season, yet their defensive solidity, together with the close nature of the top half of the table has seen them pick up enough points to rise up to third.
Both Sirens and Zurrieq have had a mixed bag of results over recent weeks, yet they both need solid displays to make a statement that they are still in the title race.
