Malta gears up for breathless finale

The Maltese title race could well go down to a winner-takes-all final game between Hibernians FC and Valletta FC, with the reigning champions' goalkeeper Andrew Hogg "sure" the second-placed Citizens will prevail.

Shrinking lead
With the ten-team league having split into two groups – the six-team title play-off and the four-team relegation section – just one point separates leaders Hibernians from on-song Valletta. Valletta's 2-1 win against Hibernians on 20 April, coupled with the latter's subsequent 2-2 home draw against Marsaxlokk FC, has opened the race right up.

Pressure maintained
Hibernians returned to winning ways on Saturday, beating Floriana FC 2-0, but Valletta responded with a 4-1 defeat of Birkirkara on Monday, with two goals from Cameroonian Nyongo Priso – one a penalty – and one each for in-form Dyson Falzon and Roderick Briffa. Hogg, still nursing an injury he picked up against Hibernians, is optimistic.

Confident prediction
"I believe that with this squad and with our current position in the table, just one point behind leaders Hibernians with another game against them left, we can bring the title back to Valletta," Hogg told uefa.com. "It won't be easy but if we keep playing the same way we've played the last few games, I'm sure we will do it."

Final encounter
With just three games to go until the end of the season, it could well be that the game between nine-time champions Hibernians and Valletta, with 19 titles to their name, on 24 May settles the race. The relegation battle is proving to be similarly fraught with a final play-off scheduled for Friday to decide one of the teams who will go down.

Play-off decider
Sunday saw Qormi FC consign Hamrun Spartans FC to second-division football with a 2-0 defeat, while the crucial fixture between Msida St. Joseph FC and Tarxien Rainbows FC ended in drama. With 91 minutes on the clock, Tarxien were 2-0 up, but Msida – who had already had goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri and Kenneth Spiteri sent off – scored twice to force a draw. "Definitely a match to forget," Tarxien general secretary Kevin Bonavia told uefa.com. The two teams will meet again on Friday with the losing side relegated.