Match Preview: Hibernians vs Birkirkara

Hibernians and Birkirkara will re-ignite the Assikura Women’s League tonight at 18:00 at the Centenary Stadium. The two clubs put aside their rivalry to promote tonight’s game together, which will see Hibernians attempt to thwart Birkirkara from reaching 90 games unbeaten, while Birkirkara will be eyeing another three points in their hunt to the equal Hibernians’ record number of titles come the end of the season.

Nicely Poised For More History To Be Made

The match has all the ingredients to shape an important part of the story not just of the season, but of the women’s game. There are a number of things coming together on Friday, but one could say that following Hibernians’ return last season, the train left the station a few months back.

Last year, Birkirkara won the opening two fixtures by a two-goal margin. In the third round, the Stripes appeared to be cruising to a 3-0 victory until Hibernians delivered an inspired comeback that saw them net two goals back. Their chance to grab a point was denied by the full-time whistle, however scoring two goals against Birkirkara in their impressive form over the last few years is no mean feat. The Paolites backed it up with a victory over Swieqi United in the final match of the league and went on to be runners-up in the Assikura Women’s Knockout, losing to the same Swieqi United.

In some way, that match against Birkirkara may have been an important spark in the trajectory that the Paolites have continued with into this season. Hibernians split for the break with an unbeaten run in the opening four matches, taking ten out of the available twelve points. They dropped points only against Mgarr United, and passed the test against Swieqi United just before the break. In doing so, they are steadily building toward a top four finish, which would give them the opportunity to fight for the title. In the meantime, they have a particular qualm with Birkirkara, whose title bid this year could see them equal Hibernians’ record in the women’s game.

On the other hand, Birkirkara come into the match with their own targets. The match presents an opportunity to reach 90 games unbeaten in the league. Doing it against Hibernians would fit the Stripes nicely, as they attempt to equal Hibernians at the historical perch in terms of league titles in the women’s game in Malta.

Depsite the history, both sides recruited over the summer and bring fresh threats to the game. Questioned whether he believes they now have the necessary ingredients to end Birkirkara’s unbeaten streak in the league, Keith Gouder was level-headed in his response. He said, “It is true that with the new additions the squad has been strengthened and improved. However, we cannot ignore the fact that even Birkirkara recruited well and they are coming from a great performance in the UWCL. We will give our very best to take something from this game and even possibly break their positive streak in the league.”

Meanwhile, Jose Borg was questioned about whether he considers the match to have an extra layer considering that 3-2 match last year, and the fact that his team are bidding to equal Hibernians’ record number of titles this year. Borg said, “For sure Hibernians have been steadily developing into a strong squad. Last year they managed to score those two goals against us, and this year they have steadily backed it up also with results including their victory over Swieqi United. I am looking forward to the match even though we have not played a competitive fixture for some time because of the international break. Our target remains to win the match and the goal for the league season it is to win the title, which would allow us to equal Hibernians record in the women’s game at the top.”

Speaking about the title challenge, he continued, “I think it is already clear that this year the league is very difficult and the new format makes it even harder. We know that there are four to five teams who have strengthened considerably, improved their coaching staff and facilities. So we are improving but so are the other teams and women’s football in Malta is growing on the whole. This is also evident in the National team’s success that we’ve seen in the past weeks. As Birkirkara we reached the target of finishing second in the UWCL and now focus on getting to the top of the league table. We want to have a good margin at the top by the Super Cup final so that we go into that match also with confidence. Winning this next game is an important step in doing that.”

Returning From International Break

The Assikura Women’s League was on hold for three weeks as the teams separated for the international break. Asked whether this came at a wrong time for his team’s momentum or if they welcomed the chance to pause and recover, Hibernians’ coach Keith Gouder said, “Sometimes having a break after a good spell can be counterproductive, same as when having a bad spell and using the break to re-focus. In such an important game, it is key to stay focused, work hard and be ready to give everything on the pitch.”

Meanwhile, Birkirkara lag behind in the league matches played because of the UWCL commitments. They have played just two league matches, against Lija Athletic and San Gwann, both of which they won by large margins. They are also yet to concede a goal in the league this season.

Jose Borg was questioned whether the break served as an opportunity to get the new recruits more integrated into their style of play, as well as to continue to impress new ideas into the team as they prepare for this encounter. He replied, “We had a large number of players on international break. This is my second year with the team and of course it takes some time for players to get used to my approach and how I want them to play the game. I think we have been working a lot to develop the style of play and this year I think we have a better understanding between us.”

He continued, “I think this year the attacking movement has improved, whereas last year I felt we found it more difficult to score at times. Of course this, together with the new players who have joined the team, have made us, I think, more ruthless in front of goal.”

Team News

Despite a bright start to the campaign, Hibernians have had their fair share of injuries. Questioned about the situation of their goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj, Gouder made clear that the player is not yet match fit, noting, “At the moment she is still in the rehabilitation phase and should be starting training with the squad in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, Hibernians also had a number of senior and youth players on international duty during the break, including Nicole Sciberras who picked up a knock in the final match against Moldova. Questioned about her fitness Gouder responded positively, “All the necessary tests were done and she was declared fit to train and play. So, she will be an integral part of the squad.”

Similarly, Birkirkara had no less than eight players involved with the Malta senior national team, as well as a number of players also in the U17 national team. Questioned about their recovery going into the match, Borg said, “We had a considerable number of players who we sent to the international break completely match fit, except for our captain Stephania Farrugia who had missed the two league games because of an injury. Unfortunately, Veronique Mifsud, Charlene Zammit, Gabriella Zahra and also Valentina Rapa all returned from the international break with some form of injury and so we are doing our best to get them match fit for the match against Hibs.”

Potential Key Battles

Hibernians have been successful in finding the net through the trio of Leah Ayres, Alexis Espitia and Martina Borg, who are becoming a fairly lethal combination especially when drifting into the centre of attack. Keith Gouder was probed whether he intends to change up the system following the break to bring Espitia and Ayres both centrally, while perhaps utilising other emerging players such as Nyorah Celeste on the wing, who had a positive stint with the Malta’s youth international team.

Gouder noted the wealth of options but did not give much away from his playbook, saying, “Having versatile players and being able to play in different positions will always give more options to the team. So, yes options are there to be utilised to get out the best of the players and team.”

Questioned about the development of Hibernians over the summer, especially through the boost in pace brought by signing Leah Ayres, Birkirkara’s coach Jose Borg replied, “Yes, Ayres is a young player who brings agility and her performances in fact earned her some minutes even with the Malta national team. I admire her footballing ability and she definitely adds another threat to our back line. However, I also have faith in my defence and in how we defend. It is important that we remain disciplined and avoid mistakes so as to avoid affording chances to Hibernians that they could convert into goals.”

Meanwhile, noting how organised Hibernians have been in their defensive duties, Borg was also asked about how important he thinks the fluid attacking movement he has been developing with his team will be to break down their opponent. Birkirkara’s coach said, “Through training and also recruiting new players, we have developed our way of building attacks and can do so in different ways. I think this has been crucial in our ability to win matches so far.”

Clubs Work Together To Promote The Game

Make no mistake the match on display will be fiercely competed. Despite this, the two clubs put aside their rivalry to work together to promote tonight’s game. The two have been promoting the match on their social media pages throughout the week, also combining to create a common poster to for the match.

Additionally, Hibernians launched a full ‘Matchday Programme’ earlier in the week, which saw the two teams also combine in providing match-goers with the full squad lists. Matchday programmes have gained popularity in the women’s game abroad and are now considered a key feature to increase fan engagement with the game.

This initiative taken marks a new step in the women’s game in Malta. The programme also provides Hibernians fans with a deeper way to prepare themselves for the match. It includes further words from Keith Gouder, Nicole Sciberras as well as some results from the past encounters. The full program can be viewed here.

The teamwork between the two clubs builds the stage for tonight, at which point the two will have their elbows out, ready for a fierce encounter that is not to be missed. It all goes off at the Centenary Stadium tonight, at 18:00. The match will be followed by another Assikura Women’s League encounter between Valletta and Swieqi United, starting at 20:30.

Lead Image: Just One Click Media

Stay up to date by following The Sporting Fan on social media: Instagram ~ Facebook ~ X