Derby rivals kept apart as City face Stripes in semis

Valletta and Floriana were kept apart in the draw for the U*Bet FA Trophy semi-finals, held yesterday at the Malta FA offices in Ta' Qali.

Valletta, who will be crowned champions this weekend at the end of their remaining match against Marsaxlokk, will play Birkirkara while Floriana will challenge Ħamrun Spartans for a place in the final on Saturday, May 24.

The first semi-final, Ħamrun Spartans vs Floriana, will be played on Monday. Valletta-Birkirkara is scheduled for today week. Both kick-offs have been set at 7.30 p.m. The ties will be played at the National Stadium.

Valletta secured their 19th league title two weeks ago. They will be bidding to make this a memorable year by clinching the Double but Birkirkara will pose a serious threat as their place in European football is not yet guaranteed.

In their last match from the Championship Pool, Birkirkara were leading 1-0 with a few minutes remaining but the Citizens hit back to score twice in a dramatic finale.

Floriana and Ħamrun are the underdogs of the competition. Both are looking to complete their low-key season on a high by winning the FA Trophy and end a drought of honours, lasting several years.

Success in the knock-out competition, however, would not be enough for both outsiders to play in Europe next season as Floriana and Ħamrun are ineligible since they do not possess a UEFA licence for clubs.

timesofmalta.com

Valletta FC Celebrations Programme - 12/05/08

Valletta shock Juventus - 11/01/08

After holding them in a 1-1 draw at the end of the ninety minutes, Valletta claimed the Betfair Cup after beating Juventus 4-3 on penalties.
It was an excellent performance by the Citizens who controlled their opponents well throughout the ninety minutes, notching the equaliser just a minute after Juventus had taken the lead.
Juventus managed to take the lead on 43 minutes when off a cross by Pavel Nedved from the left, Ruben Olivera headed home in style past goalie Andrew Hogg.
However the Citizens levelled matters a minute later when a Frank Temile effort hit the crossbar and off the rebound, Sebastian Monesterolo placed the ball at the back of the net from close range.
With the score 1-1 at the end of the ninety minutes, penalties had to decide which way the Betfair Cup was going. Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ian Zammit, Raffaele Palladino, Claude Mattocks, Tiago Mendes, Josef Mifsud all scored their penalties, then Antonio Nocerino hit wide, Dyson Falzon scored while Nicola Legrottaglie's penalty was saved by Darmanin.

Maltafootball.com