by Birkirkara and Swieqi United will meet once more tonight at the Centenary Stadium (20:15). Birkirkara seek victory to climb to the top spot with a game in hand. However, having downed the giant last week, Swieqi United fancy the top of the table view for themselves.
Raring To Go
Birkirkara bounced back from the defeat with a 4-0 triumph over Lija Athletic, while Swieqi United breezed past with a 10-0 scoreline over Mtarfa. Considering this, the two come into the match from a happy Saturday, but there is no doubt that the impact of the upcoming fixture on the top positions weighs heavy on the two teams.
A win for Birkirkara will lift them ahead of Swieqi United by two points and with a game in hand. If Hibernians drop points against Mgarr United on Saturday, then the Stripes would be in first place come the end of the weekend. However, if Swieqi United complete the double, they would secure a place ahead of Birkirkara (irrespective of the outcome of the other game in hand). Like Birkirkara, Swieqi United will be hoping that Hibernians and Mgarr United share the points to have the top spot for themselves.
The two coaches were probed about the physical and mental readiness of their squads. Birkirkara’s Jose Borg replied, “My players are ready mentally for this big game, but physically we are still struggling after this hectic month.” The team has had a number of direct confrontations, including back-to-back fixtures against Mgarr United and Swieqi United last week. This besides also having a considerable amount of players on international duty during the break.
Meanwhile, Swieqi United’s Saviour Darmanin was elated by the performance against Mtarfa, “We won the match convincingly, with good intensity and the players who went into the first eleven made the right impact. To give one example Michaela Cachia bagged her first goal in the senior’s league.”
Speaking about physical readiness, Darmanin noted the balance that the club is reaching between mounting a title challenge in the U19 Assikura Women’s Youth League and the senior league, “The U19s continued their charge in the youth league on Tuesday where they bagged maximum points and currently enjoy an unbeaten streak. A lot of these players form part of the senior squad and feature in the senior league as well.”
Darmanin attributed this to the collaboration with U19s coach and senior team captain, Dorianne Theuma. “We achieve this by having good communication between me and their coach Dorianne Theuma, who besides her coaching duties with the U19s, is also an important pillar of our senior team. Surely Dorianne needs no introduction, but her performances as a player since coming back from injury have also been crucial for our title challenge in the senior league, including with her free-kick delivery to earn the goal against Birkirkara.”
As to the mental aspect, Darmanin said, “The win against Birkirkara gave the team an important boost in belief. We are keeping our feet on the ground because we know that there is plenty of points still up for grabs. However, winning a match against a team who had been unbeaten for years is no doubt a positive and gives an important boost.”
Will We See More Goals?
The fixtures between the two teams have proven to be cagey in the past and the season’s first battle proved no different. The injury-time winner by Karima Abdulai was enough to separate the two sides, just over a week ago and two sides will have the previous encounter still fresh in their minds.
However, that is only as good as last week. The two sides pack numerous players and staff who are no strangers to a title challenge. They will know that they have to approach each match with renewed vigour for the win. As the pack tightens at the top of the table, maximising points from these direct encounters will become even more crucial as the season wears on.
Questioned on whether they expect this to be a more open match and with more goals, the two coaches offered their viewpoints. Jose Borg replied, “Every game has a different story. I’m hoping it will be different. I hope that we can transfer our possession into goal-scoring opportunities and the goal-scoring opportunities into goals.
Meanwhile, Saviour Darmanin noted, “We approach the match with tactical discipline, because this is what allowed us to win the first match. There could be changes from either side, including perhaps because of injuries or tactically. However, surely I hope for a match with the right intensity and of a high calibre.”
Worth More Than Three Points?
One can keep peeling the layers of this encounter and the bearing that it has on the season for the two teams. This will be the second direct confrontation between the two in the league. It will not be their final encounter in this calendar year. That will be the Super Cup final, pencilled in for the 13th of December (15:00), which will be one where they will not be fighting for points, but the first piece of silverware.
However, probed if there is any taste for revenge, or the psychological impact of the result in relation to the Super Cup final, Jose’ Borg denied that there is anything but the league in their minds. “This game is important for league table. A win will put us top of table where we belong. It’s not going to be easy, in fact it will be a very tough game. But my players are mentally strong and they know exactly what they want out of it.”
His counterpart Saviour Darmanin also has his focus is set on the importance of the three points, “Birkirkara still have a game in hand, so I believe it is still more important for us to take points from the game. Getting the maximum points is key because in that way even if Birkirkara win the match that they have in hand, we would still be ahead. Besides Birkirkara, we have other rivals who are close in the table. As predicted in the beginning of the season, this year the women’s league is not a two-horse race. Points have been dropped by everyone, so it is even more crucial to maximise what we can take from each match.”
The last match had just one goal, but ended with all the emotions of a proper football match for those who filed into the stands. One predicts that the gloves will be off for this one, promising an even more absorbing fixture. The match starts at 20:15 and will be played at the Centenary Stadium. It will kick-off an Assikura Women’s League weekend that is chock-full of direct battles.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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