Who are the contenders for this year’s BOV Premier League? 

Birkirkara kicked off the new BOV Premier League season on 19 August with a convincing 2-0 win over Sirens. Goals from Brazilian duo Lecão and Denis Ribeiro were enough to seal all three points as the Stripes laid down a marker to the chasing pack.

Online bookmakers whose odds are compared by oddschecker, which provides free offers on European football, have made Hibernians the favourites to retain the crown they won so impressively last season. And it’s hard to bet against the Paolites led by Maltese duo Jurgen Degabriele and Jake Grech. 

But who are the other contenders looking to wrestle the crown from the reigning champions? 

Hamrun Spartans 

The Spartans’ European exploits this season have taken the country by storm. They became the first Maltese side in history to reach the playoff round of a UEFA competition after they added Levski Sofia to their list of scalps via second-leg heroics in Bulgaria.

A 4-1 defeat away at Partizan Belgrade looks to have ended their continental adventure, but they should be in fine fettle for the new Premier League campaign. 

Hamrun ended their 30-year wait for a Premier League trophy by winning in the 2020-2021 season but their defence of the crown was less than impressive last season. This season they look as though they mean business. Maltese midfielder Matthew Guillaumier and Brazilian attacker Jonny Robert are two of the best players in the division capable of winning any match. And don’t be surprised to see the Spartans victorious next May, especially if they can replicate their Europa Conference League qualifying form onto the domestic stage. 

Floriana 

Prior to Hamrun Spartans’ victory in the 2020-2021 season, Floriana were ending a drought of their own the year before. The Greens hadn’t won the domestic championship since 1993, but courtesy of global events, they found themselves as the beneficiaries of the Maltese FA curtailing the 2019-2020 campaign, leading them to end the season as champions. 

Last season, it looked as though they would repeat their heroics of two years prior, pushing Hibernians all the way in the race for the title. Floriana fumbled in the second phase, ensuring that the trophy would head to Paola. But Floriana didn’t end the campaign without silverware. They defeated archrivals Valletta 2-1 after extra time to lift the FA Trophy, and they will be hoping for more silverware this term. 

This article is brought to you by Richard Turner

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