Malta BOV ePremier League Group A Preview - Rearing Rich Rivalries

Accordingly, with the 12 representatives for each of the BOV ePremier Clubs announced, we’re ready to dive into the Group Stage! Indeed, the Main Competition is finally here, with an incredible amount of competition to look forward to. Read on as we outline everything you need to know in this Group A Preview!

Malta BOV ePremier League Group Stage – Painting the Picture

Before we dive deep into these four teams seeded into Group A, let’s provide some context. To get to this point, we’ve been through multiple gruelling qualifiers, as the top 11 players on the island have come forward, joining the likes of Luke “LukeBartolo99” Bartolo who replaced Christian “ChrisMeister777” Spiteri following his retirement.

Earlier last week, all the players announced the club with which they’ve signed together with a broadcasted random draw for the Group Stage.

Now we have three groups of four, from which the top 8 players will earn a spot at the Knockout Stage. This top 8 will include the top 2 teams from each group and the two third-placed teams with the best record. 

Specifically, the teams will compete in a single-round robin, with each club competing against one another once, meaning three matches for each team. Each match will be played across 2 legs, with the overall score from both games considered.

Points will be awarded traditionally: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and no points for a loss. With regards to the ties and third place seeding, criteria have been devised as outlined in the rules. 

Group A – Some Exciting Rivalries with New Names

Here are the teams seeded for Group A, together with their representative players:

• Balzan FC – Miguel “Migi” Grima
• Floriana FC – Owen “Owen Galea” Galea
• Hibernians FC – Glenn “GCAMBEAMZ-“ Camilleri
• Santa Lucia FC – Gianluca “Turbulense” Sant

With regards to competition, this Group looks to be absolutely insane. Why? Well, apart from the long-lasting rivalry between clubs such as Floriana FC and Hibernians FC, competing in the same group last year, we have two of the top competitors from the Offline Qualifier!

Namely, one of the top veterans in the local FIFA scene, Gianluca “Turbulense” Sant, who has multiple accolades and achievements, will be going toe-to-toe with the new champion around the block, Owen “Owen Galea” Galea. Can the Offline Qualifier champion retain his position and prove his consistency to the community? For the most part, the community is confident in the top 2, just entirely unsure as to who’ll come out on top. 

Although such incredible competitors are in the group, the remaining two players are threats in themselves. Moreso, there will likely be an intense battle for third place, for a chance to seed further, between the likes of Glenn “GCAMBEAMZ-“ Camilleri and Miguel “Migi” Grima – the head-to-head will be massive to determine the bottom end of the standings. Also, they offer enough upset potential to steal a match or two against the top 2 favourites.

The huge number of possibilities for this group is only testament to the sheer level of competition in this year’s Malta BOV ePremier League. 

Schedule for Group A – Match Day 15th March

To conclude, here is the schedule for the matchday for Group A: 

15th March 10, 2022, 21:00

• Balzan FC vs Hibernians FC 
• Floriana FC vs Santa Lucia FC

15th March 10, 2022, 21:40

• Balzan FC vs Floriana FC
• Santa Lucia FC vs Hibernians FC

15th March, 2022, 22:20

• Hibernians FC vs Floriana Fc
• Balzan FC vs Santa Lucia FC

We’ll be sure to provide a recap of all the action – stay tuned for more!