After the Meridianbet FA Trophy Round of 32 matches were played last weekend, attention now turns back to the YoHealth Malta Premier. Two Matchday 15 games will be played on Tuesday, both taking place at the Victor Tedesco Stadium.
The first match, at 18:30, comes from the Bottom Six section, where the top two teams in that table, Hibernians and Gżira United, will face each other. Both sides are almost safe from finishing in the bottom places in this phase, but they will be aiming to keep their good form going ahead of the Closing Round, where they hope for a better overall outcome.
Hibernians come into the match after a 3-1 win against Gudja in the FA Trophy. However, they will be looking to return to winning ways in the league after drawing 3-3 with Żabbar in their last match. So far, Hibernians have not been very active in the January transfer window, although it is still early, and changes could still be made as they look to strengthen their squad and push for a Top Six finish in the Closing Round.
Gżira United, who currently sit top of the Bottom Six, also won their FA Trophy match against St Andrews. They are in strong form, having gone seven league matches without defeat and winning their last four in a row. Unlike Hibernians, Gżira have already moved in the transfer market, signing Canadian defender Chrisnovic N’sa, Serbian defender Mihajlo Stojanovic, and young midfielder Neil Cassar.
The second match, which kicks off at 21:00, sees Sliema Wanderers face Marsaxlokk, with both teams coming into the game after being knocked out of the FA Trophy.
Sliema Wanderers have been in the spotlight recently after head coach Paul Zammit ended his time at the club following three and a half seasons. During his spell, he guided Sliema back to the Premier League and won the FA Trophy in the 2023/24 season. Sliema are currently joint third in the Top Six table with 25 points, level with Valletta. However, expectations were higher at the start of the season after the club put together a strong squad to challenge for trophies. Their FA Trophy exit to Challenge League side Swieqi United was a major disappointment, and the Blues will now look to put that behind them and refocus on the league.
Marsaxlokk were also knocked out of the FA Trophy, losing to Floriana, and will be aiming to improve their form as they prepare for the next phase of the competition. They are currently fifth in the table with 21 points. On Monday, the club announced an eye-catching signing, bringing in Lithuanian international Domantas Šimkus from Ħamrun Spartans to strengthen their midfield.
