Qormi, Sliema in clash for a place in Europe

A place in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League will be at stake on Tuesday as Qormi take on Sliema Wanderers in a decider for third place in the BOV Premier League.

The two teams had ended their commitments on the 30-point mark and with BOV Premier League runners-up Valletta securing a place in the UEFA Europa League after winning the U*BET FA Trophy, a decider was therefore necessary to determine which team between Qormi and Sliema will be qualifying for European football.

Qormi defeated Sliema four times this season – 1-0, 2-1, 4-0 and 3-0 and therefore, on paper, they start as firm favourites to secure what would be a historic qualification for European competitions.

This would be the cherry on the cake of what has been so far a season to remember for the Yellows led by coach Vince Carbonaro who has taken over from Jesmond Zerafa. After securing a place in the Championship Pool, Qormi were among the teams challenging for the title for several weeks. They also went on to reach the final of the FA Trophy, losing 1-2 to Valletta.

On the other hand, for Sliema, this was a highly disappointing season. A season in which they had started among the favourites for honours but ended up out of the race at an early stage. Therefore through this decisive game, the Wanderers will be hoping to make up for this disappointment by securing once again a place in the UEFA Europa League. But the fact that almost a month had passed since they played their last competitive game, does not play in their favour.

The Wanderers lack the suspended Josef Mifsud while foreigners Pedro Dos Santos Calcado and Julio Alcrose are unavailable for selection. Qormi, on the other hand, will be lacking Stephen Wellman.