Citizens seek to extend lead in top-of-the-table clash

Leaders Valletta will be hoping to extend the lead on top the BOV Premier League table on Sunday as they take on second-placed Tarxien Rainbows in a top-of-the-table clash at the National Stadium.

The Citizens are currently enjoying a nine-point lead and a win over the Rainbows would put them twelve points clear. They are the only unbeaten side in the Premier League with ten wins and three draws and are coming from a series of five successive wins.

Tarxien are having their best season ever despite a rather slow start. They are coming from a positive run of eight matches in which they dropped just four points in two draws. Against the Citizens, the main objective will be that of avoiding defeat in order to stay ahead of third-placed Floriana and keep the pace with the leaders.

For Valletta, goalkeeper Nicky Vella will be guarding the posts as Andrew Hogg is ruled out as he serves a one-match ban.

In the first round, Valletta defeated Tarxien 5-2.

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Meanwhile in the first match, Floriana will hope to close the gap or even join Tarxien in second place as they take on Vittoriosa Stars.

Two wins over Marsaxlokk and Hamrun in their last two outings enabled the Greens to climb into third place and now they seek the three points against the Stars after failing to do so in the first round when they were held in a goalless draw.

Vittoriosa lie at the bottom of the table with seven points and are now starting to lose ground as Hibernians moved five points clear. They will be hoping to restart collecting points after suffering three narrow defeats out of their last four matches – 2-3 to Valletta, 0-1 to Tarxien and 3-4 to Sliema – the other game ending in a 2-2 draw with Qormi.

However their task will be no easy one since they will be lacking captain Jeffrey Chetcuti, Stephen Wellman and Edison Luis Dos Santos who are all suspended and the injured Carlos Campagnoli. Ryan Grech should be making his debut after joining the club from Tarxien. For Floriana, Christian Cassar and Kiril Dzhorov are both ruled out injured.