The end of January saw another exhilarating round of the FA Trophy, and one in which some favourites were eliminated. It has edged us closer to the crunch rounds of the competition and narrowed down the field so that we can now start to take educated guesses on who will be taking to the pitch at the National Stadium in May.

With big names like Floriana eliminated, despite maintaining a 100% record in the Premier League at that point, it paints an exciting picture for an FA Trophy final that will capture the imagination. With only two rounds of the competition to go before that May showpiece, who do we expect to progress, and who will be disappointed to not be going further in the cup?

The Greens Can’t Shake St. Patrick Disappointment 

Floriana will expect to be the favourites in the Malta Premier League football betting on most occasions this year, perhaps with the exception of when they face Ħamrun Spartans. However, they laboured to a 0-0 draw with Zabbar St. Patrick, before being eliminated on penalties by the underdogs in what was something of a shock result.

Zabbar have never claimed a major national competition, with their most recent win being the National Amateur Cup in 2022. Floriana would go on to bounce back and beat their FA Trophy foes 3-0 in a league fixture the week following, but it will be hard to shake the feeling that this was an excellent chance for the Greens to take home a first cup win since 2022.

Ħamrun Continue Imperious March Towards Success

The Spartans are deep into their dynasty era. They have won the Premier League three years in a row and will seek to make it four. However, they have struggled in the FA Trophy, having not won a domestic cup in more than 30 years. Since that 1992 win, six other sides have shared the trophy between them, much to the disappointment of Ħamrun fans.

However, a 5-0 victory in the round of 16, which set them on the way to the quarterfinals, will have done no harm to their chances of claiming their first FA Trophy of this millennium. Their opponents, Fgura United, may only be mid-table in the First Division, but as we so often see, upsets can come from the unlikeliest of sources, and Giacomo Modica’s men did well to avoid one here.

Postponements Ensure Big Names Remain in the Hat

Hibernians will be looking to add to their 11 final wins this year, but they will have to wait to find out if they will progress beyond the round of 16 and succeed in defending their championship. Their fixture with Gżira United was postponed, meaning that the two Premier League sides will remain in contention, even if just until the game is finally played.

The same is true for Birkirkara, whose fixture against Challenge League Pietà Hotspurs was also set to be rescheduled. At least one side from the top division will be eliminated from the tournament when these games are played, but there is potential for Pietà to achieve history and overcome their more illustrious opponents in what would be a significant shock.

14-Time Winners Valetta Will Soldier On

Valetta faced Tarxien Rainbows in what had the potential to be a banana skin for the side from the capital. However, they battled through to come out 1-0 winners and continue their march toward a final that could deliver a 15th trophy and move them closer to Sliema Wanderers and Floriana on the all-time winners list.

There is still plenty of football to be played, and the business end of any cup competition is always likely to throw up intriguing results, so none of those involved will be counting their chickens just yet. However, what is certain is that one of these teams will be victorious in May. It will surely be an event of great importance as the balance of power continues to swing in Maltese football.

Quarter-final pairings
Valletta vs Hamrun Spartans
Birkirkara or Pieta’ Hotspurs vs Zabbar St. Patrick
Gzira United or Hibernians vs Mosta
Zurrieq vs Naxxar Lions