Judgment day for Birkirkara and Hibernians in title decider
by Ayrton Galea - 10th May 2013
Judgment day has finally arrived for Birkirkara and Hibernians as these two teams, the two most consistent teams in the Premier League will cross swords in the highly anticipated decider match to determine this year's Premier League winner.
For much of the past nine months, the two title hopefuls have been embroiled in a tug-of-war for top spot. Both teams had moments when they slipped but, after the end of the Premier League, there was nothing to separate these two and it should be tomorrow's showdown to decide which team will be crowned champions.
After the Stripes defeated Tarxien Rainbows in what could have been Birkirkara's last league match, all pressure was on Hibernians but the Paolites stayed strong and showed great resilience to force a decider as they defeated Valletta with a 2-1 score.
With the Stripes unbeaten against Hibernians this season, Birkirkara might be considered slight favourites for this match. However, during a press conference held on Thursday, Birkirkara's Head Coach denied this and said that previous results have no influence on this match as he's sure that both teams are well prepared for this match.
Birkirkara started the Championship Pool commitments in the third place and suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sliema Wanderers in the first match of that phase. Some doubted if the Stripes could be serious challengers for the title. However, showing a strong character and a great resilience not to throw in the towel, Birkirkara gained most points in the Championship Pool to end their league commitments in the first place.
In the beginning of the season, many might not have considered Hibernians as title challengers as they seemed to be slightly inferior to Valletta and Birkirkara, but their signings in January gave them a huge boost. Having the best attack on the island, and enjoying the most wins in the Premier League, Hibernians showed that they are in no way inferior to their challenging opponents, as the Paolites failed to give up.
As Mr. Zammit said, statistics for this match will not have any influence as there is now only 90 minutes to decide the winner. However, there are several interesting contrasting statistics which led both teams to this position. Birkirkara have the lowest number of defeats and they are the best defence in the Premier League, while on the other hand, Hibernians have the biggest number of wins and they are the best forward in the league.
Having mentioned these facts, this shows that there all the possible ingredients to make this decider-match an entertaining one. If the winner will not be decided until the 90 minutes, extra time and therefore penalties will take place.< /p>
Joseph Zerafa is suspended for Birkirkara, and he is the only player missing for the Stripes. Hibernians have no players suspended, but Marcelo Dias is highly doubtful while Ryan Camilleri and Jean Paul Farrugia are also doubtful, due to injuries.
The match will be played at the National Stadium and it is scheduled to kick off at 18:00. Transport from Valley Road will leave at 15:00.
The National Stadium will be a cauldron of noise and colour as thousands of fans are expected to make their way to Ta' Qali to watch this title decider.
The Birkirkara supporters will be allocated at the Enclousere West Stand A and at the North Stand (Curva). Tickets to the West A Enclosure side were sold out after 45 minutes. Tickets to the North Stand are also going out fast and they will go on sale again today from 19:30 during the Heineken Night party which is being organised at Valley Road, Birkirkara. There will be no tickets available on the day from the stadium.
We urge all Birkirkara supporters to buy their tickets as early as possible to avoid any disappointment. All Birkirkara supporters are asked to join in the festive atmosphere that will be present at the Stadium tomorrow and to obey all police instructions on the day. The Birkirkara supporters should enter Ta' Qali from Mosta and park in the West Stand parking area and roads leading to it.
The Birkirkara supporters are asked to refrain from going to the Millennium Stand, which is reserved for the neutral supporters. No flags or club related clothing will be allowed inside the Millennium Stand.
Come on the Stripes!
| Last Matches Played |
|---|
