Match Day 1 Roundup - The Malta BOV ePremier League

As part of the FIFA 20 Global Series, the BOV ePremier League sees 14 players representing a team from the top tier in Malta.

Match day 1 had teams competing with everything to play for, as well as a chance to set the pace in the early stages. Players face each other with six points up for grabs over two games. Let's go over the main matches that took place on our main twitch channel.

Tournament Favourite Starts Off With a Draw 

Santa Lucia FC vs Valletta (chrismeister888 vs Txrbulense)

Round 1: 0-0 

Round 2: 1-1 

The first round of the Malta ePremier League began with favourite chrismeister888 facing off against Txrbulense. The first half was cagey, while there was little to mention aside from a few half-chances. 

In the second leg, chrismeister888 took the lead with Lionel Messi in the 22nd minute, with one of his very first shots on target. An impressive defensive display followed, although Ronaldo did have a goal ruled for offside after 31 minutes for Txrbulense.

R9 went on to miss a free header in the 55th minute as Zinedine Zidane was rampant on the wing, although the Brazilian striker got his goal with a low driven shot on the hour mark. 

Both players settled for a draw, with the tie ending at 1-1. It was a surprising result for chrismeister888, but at least he started with points on the board.

Tight Games In the Second Matchup

Floriana vs Birkirkara FC (Mizu vs lawfu)

Round 1: 1-0 

Round 2: 1-1 

The second matchup to feature on the main channel was Mizu against lawfu. 

Almost straight away, R9 was close for Mizu, while Lionel Messi also had a good chance within the first ten minutes for the player representing Floriana. 

lawfu managed to settle down, and they began feeling each other out for the remainder of the first leg. R9 grabbed a late goal to make it 1-0 for Mizu in extra time, taking all three points against the run of play.

The second leg saw lawfu adopting a more patient approach to begin with, but Mizu soon began to read his opponent with regularity. R9 bagged an acrobatic volley in the 41st minute to open the scoring, and came close again after 60 minutes. lawfu grabbed an equaliser through the ever-deadly R9 after 80 minutes, heaping more pressure on Mizu, and the second leg ended 1-1.

Bragging Rights Earned for brandsha

Hamrun Spartans vs Gzira United (brandsha vs bRandonN_93)

Round 1: 5-0 

Round 2: 2-2

The third tie was a clash between brothers, so they were playing for bragging rights at home, as well as much-needed points.

Seen as another early favourite, brandsha quickly took the lead through R9 after 12 minutes. He hit the post almost ten minutes later, and R9 found the back of the net again in the 36th. Lionel Messi scored a third just before the end of the first half, highlighting the difference in class.

Hamrun Spartans grabbed a fourth via Cristiano Ronaldo in the 79th minute after controlling the game, and R9 got a hat-trick with a few minutes to go. So much for brotherly love. 

The second leg saw brandsha take his foot off the gas, and his brother finally got a goal through C Ronaldo midway through the first half. bRandonN_93 grew in confidence, and slotted with R9 to make it 2-1 after Messi grabbed an equaliser. brandsha looked to Pele, who managed to make it 2-2 as the referee was about to blow the final whistle.

Neymar Saves the Day for Floriana 

Floriana vs Valletta FC (Mizu vs Txrbulense)

Round 1: 2-0 

Round 2: 2-2

Txrbulense and Mizu returned for their second appearance on the main channel. Representing a couple of bitter rivals, Floriana and Valletta are two of the biggest clubs in Malta.

Mizu was seen as a likely aggressor before the game, given the balanced style of Txrbulense. The early predictions proved to be right, as his 99 Lionel Messi scored the opener after four in-game minutes. The two sides began trading blows, but neither could find the net until Kylian Mbappe made it 2-0 with time running out. 

The return leg was played at a slower pace, with fewer chances in the opening stages. Mizu managed to take the lead before half time with a beautiful low driven shot by Messi, but Valletta got one back through Cristiano Ronaldo just after the hour mark. Pele made it 2-1 for Txrbulense seconds after in an impressive turnaround.

Neymar Jr nabbed a tap-in moments later to make it 2-2, in one of the best matches so far. 

A Statement of Intent for Hibs

Hibernians FC vs Sirens FC (Dunstan12 vs RudyFifaPlayer)

Round 1: 5-1 

Round 2: 3-0

Hibernians player Dunstan12 had a strong start, taking six points from his opening two games. He caused Sirens to concede an early penalty through Trent Alexander-Arnold, which was converted with ease to take the lead.

Dunstan12 was 2-0 up a few minutes later through Sadio Mane, although R9 clawed one back before half-time to make it 2-1. RudyFifaPlayer’s failed showboat ended in a C Ronaldo goal to end the tie 3-1, before he scored another brace to add insult to injury.

The second leg was more of the same, although it’s hard to recover from a morale-sapping loss in such a short time. An early finish by Messi was topped off by a goal for R9 on 53 minutes to secure the victory.

The win means that Hibernians (and Dunstan12) have earned 12 points from a possible 12. It’s a strong statement of intent in week 1.

A Brace of Wins for Balzan

Balzan vs Birkirkara FC (IssacKyleGrima vs lawfu)

Round 1: 3-2 

Round 2: 1-0

The final tie of Match Week 1 was between two neighbouring cities in the form of Balzan and Birkirkara. Balzan took the lead within 20 minutes as IssacKyleGrima buried his first shot, and he managed to double his lead after 43 minutes through R9.

lawfu got one back through Kylian Mbappe immediately after the restart, and his R9 made it 2-2 on the hour mark. With everything to play for, Balzan’s 98 Mbappe made it 3-2 to snatch the victory.

The return leg was quiet in comparison, as the team’s went in at 0-0 after the first half. Balzan’s CR7 scored after a lovely elastico to go ahead after 69 minutes, and they managed to hold out for a nervy victory.

Head over to our Results page to see the outcome for all the matches that took place in week one.

And that's a wrap for our first day of the BOV ePremier League. Stay tuned as we'll be bringing you news on what to look out for in week two.