Valletta, Hibs meet again with FA Trophy SF berth at stake

Four days after being involved in an enthralling BOV Premier League title decider, newly-crowned champions Valletta and runners-up Hibernians go head to head again, this time in the FA Trophy quarter-final at the National Stadium (kick-off 18.30). Saturday’s title showdown was an unforgettable occasion as penalties were needed to decide the issue after 120 minutes produced four goals, two for each team, but no winner. Eventually, Valletta won the championship after prevailing 4-2 on penalties, meaning that they will head into Wednesday’s cup tie in high spirits. While the Citizens will be looking to advance to a semi-final against Gżira United on Sunday and keep their bid for a league and cup double alive, Hibernians will be striving to bounce back from Saturday’s heart-breaking defeat, knowing that a win over their rivals would also boost their chances of winning the FA Trophy. Both teams have selection problems. Left-back Joseph Zerafa is suspended for Valletta while captain Jonathan Caruana and Rowen Muscat picked up slight injuries in Saturday’s title decider. Hibernians are also missing some key players with experienced defender Andrei Agius and wing-back Isaac Ntow both serving a one-match ban after collecting their fourth yellow card on Saturday. Forward Jurgen Degabriele is sidelined with a knee injury. Valletta beat Marsa 3-0 and Lija Athletic 7-1 on their way to the semi-finals. For their part, Hibernians overcame Qormi 5-1 in the third round and Fgura United 4-0 in the fourth. The head-to-head record reflects the parity between Valletta and Hibernians this season. Before Saturday’s title decider, Hibs had beaten Valletta 2-1 in the first round but the latter won the second-round fixture with the same scoreline. The winner of Hibs-Valletta will meet Gżira United on Sunday with Balzan and Birkirkara facing each other in the first FA Trophy semi-final on Saturday.