Valletta aim at returning to winning ways

After dropping five points in their last two outings, Valletta will be all out to return to winning ways as they take on St. Andrews in one of the two BOV Premier League matches in programme at the National Stadium on Sunday, kick-off at 18:00.

The Citizens lie one point behind leaders Hibernians and therefore a win over St. Andrews would put them temporarily on top before the Paolites take on Qormi on Monday.

The Saints, on the other hand, failed to win any of their last eleven matches, earning just two points in draws. They lost their last six matches, conceding fifteen goals and scoring just two. Lying third from bottom, five points ahead of Pietà Hotspurs and Qormi, they seem set to take the Play-Off spot unless they collect enough points from the remaining three matches to leapfrog Senglea or Tarxien.

Against Valletta, St. Andrews will be without Travis Blagrove and Kemmu Degran Jackson.

Valletta defeated St. Andrews 1-0 in the first round.

Meanwhile in the first match, kick-off at 16:00, Hamrun Spartans take on Balzan.

Two points separate the two teams as the Spartans are currently fourth on 41 points, together with Sliema, while Balzan share sixth place on 39 points. Both sides are unbeaten in four matches with two wins and two draws.

This clash will put Balzan coach Jacques Scerri against his former club and therefore Balzan will be all out to upset their rivals in order to get back in the race for a place in the UEFA Europa League. However the Spartans are determined to fight till the end for a place in Europe after an absence of 27 years.

Hamrun will be without the suspended Triston Caruana.

In the first round, the two teams shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw.