On Friday evening, the YoHealth Malta Premier Closing Round gets underway with two matches at the Tony Bezzina Stadium.
The opening match, kicking off at 18:30, sees Sliema Wanderers take on Żabbar St. Patrick. The two sides competed in different sections during Phase 2 of the Opening Round, with Sliema featuring in the Top 6, while Żabbar were part of the Bottom 6.
The Blues concluded the Opening Round in a disappointing 4th place with 26 points, finishing seven points adrift of second place. The campaign ended turbulently, leading to Paul Zammit stepping down as head coach after three and a half seasons in charge. During the January transfer window, Sliema strengthened their defensive department with the signing of Serbian defender Dejan Djuric, although further additions could still follow. Pablo Doffo, who joined from Nadur Youngsters, has now taken over leadership duties, and the Blues will be hoping to improve in the Closing Round, fully aware of the squad’s potential.
Żabbar, meanwhile, despite competing in the Bottom 6, ended their Opening Round commitments on a high note with a victory over Gżira United, finishing third in the Bottom 6 table with 16 points, level with Mosta. In the January transfer window, the Saints added Massimo Forte, a 21-year-old midfielder on loan from Italian Serie C side Vis Pesaro.
The second match of the evening, scheduled for 21:00 at the same venue, sees Mosta face Valletta.
Mosta also competed in the Bottom 6 during the Opening Round but finished strongly with an important victory over Hibernians, a result that helped them avoid ending up among the bottom two teams. The club made a significant signing last week, bringing in Brazilian midfielder Pedro Cacho from Hibernians, and are reportedly close to adding more players in the coming days to further strengthen the squad.
Valletta, one of the most impressive sides of the Opening Round, finished third in the Top 6 with 29 points. The capital side will now look to build on that position, hoping that Ħamrun Spartans do not dominate the Closing Round once again, as they aim to secure a place in a Final Four scenario. Valletta were also active in January, signing Diogo Tavares, who will miss this match after being sent off on his debut, and Dutch striker Stijn Meijers, who was released by Ħamrun Spartans.
