Match Day 2 Roundup - The Malta BOV ePremier League

Despite the absence of a couple of top players, Match Day 2 of the BOV ePremier League saw a number of upsets and a new leader emerging after a range of hard-fought games.

Here’s how the featured matches went down Thursday evening.

Mosta Settle Nerves at the Expense of Sirens 

Sirens FC vs Mosta FC (RudyFifaPlayer vs lukebartolofifa)

Leg 1: 1-1

Leg 2: 1-2

After a first half with hardly any action, both players decided to sub off Lionel Messi as he was making little impact. Instead, it was left to a different type of icon, as Prime Eusebio broke the deadlock in the 61st minute for Mosta FC. However, TOTS Sadio Mane grabbed an equaliser ten minutes after to make it 1-1. 

Sirens’ Cristiano Ronaldo fluffed an opportunity stemming from a free-kick at the death, but it ended all square after the first leg.

Ruud Gullit was dabbing after three minutes in the second match, as Sirens took an early lead. Mane made it 1-1 after eight minutes with a near-instant reply, and they were back to a stalemate.

Messi was instrumental for both players in the second game, and finessed a shot with the outside of his left boot to make it 2-1 for Mosta after 25 minutes. Despite being known for aggressive tactics, Mosta held the ball in the late stages, securing the win.

A 2-0 Lead is a Dangerous One 

Birkirkara FC vs Senglea Athletic FC (lawfu vs Ryan08100)

Leg 1: 2-2

Leg 2: 1-0

Lawfu’s Birkirkara side were second from bottom after the first match week, so he was desperate to get some points on the board in the second round of featured games. However, Senglea took the lead in the opening half hour, with a second from 99 TOTY Messi after 22 minutes. 

Matthias de Ligt produced a solid tackle for Ryan after 50 minutes, and Senglea looked to be in full control. That is until a Mbappe roulette from lawfu led to a screamer in the 77th minute. Mbappe nutmegged Allison to make it 2-2 just before added time in a great comeback draw.

Given the stress of the last minute goal, it’s no surprise that both teams decided to turtle up during the second match. Both struggled to create meaningful chances, likely wary of being exposed. R9 eventually smashed a shot from range in the 76th minute for lawfu, and he managed to hold out to pick up his first win of the league season.

Hibs Winning Run Briefly Halted

Tarxien Rainbows vs Hibernians FC (Klawka vs Dunstan12)

Leg 1: 2-0

Leg 2: 0-1

Midtable Tarxien were up against Hibs, with the latter undefeated with four wins in four. Surprisingly, Klawka bossed the game in the first half, coming close repeatedly without looking dangerous. 

His lack of fear paid off as he took the lead through TOTY Ronaldo on the 70th minute mark, while R9 capitalised on a mistake to slot into an open goal with ten minutes to spare for Tarxien, capping off a deserved win.

The return match saw Dunstan12 struggling to regain his composure at first, before settling into a good rhythm. R9 bagged a cheeky header for Hibs after 23 minutes, setting the tone for the game.

A mistimed de Ligt tackle for Hibs didn’t matter in the end as CR7 somehow missed the ensuing penalty. Dunstan preserved his lead thanks to a terrific save, and mind games with the keeper. That was it aside from an offside goal for Tarxien, so both teams ended up with a share of the spoils.

brandsha Announces Himself as a Contender

Sirens FC vs Hamrun Spartans (RudyFifaPlayer vs brandsha)

Leg 1: 3-0

Leg 2: 3-2

After dropping five points from a possible six in the opener, Sirens were under heavy pressure against Hamrun. Unfortunately, Rudy was up against a team which had climbed to the top of the table following earlier results.

bransha’s 99-rated Messi opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, and Mbappe soon made it 2-0 after half an hour played. The league leaders continued to search for a third, and CR7 obliged in the 89th minute to finish off any hopes of a comeback.

Sirens can’t have been looking forward to a return leg straight after, and it seemed like everything was routine as Messi skilled his way to an opener in the 23rd minute. Rudy’s CR7 got an unlikely equaliser via a corner from a direct header, proving nothing is ever certain in FIFA.

R9 smashed in a sweaty tap-in on the hour mark to restore Sirens’ lead, but Rudy scored an instant equaliser with his own R9 slotting home to restore parity. Hamrun then had one ruled out for offside, before Pele scored one at the death to expose Sirens’ lack of patience. It ended with six points out of six for Hamrun.

Gudja Get Points on the Board in 4-4 Thriller 

Gudja United vs Sliema Wanderers (Haller10 vs Aless10) 

Leg 1:4-4

Leg 2: 1-2

Gudja shipped 18 goals in their first six games, and were winless entering their featured matches against Sliema. After settling a few issues with commentary, Aless10 inevitably went up 1-0 thanks to R9 after 10 minutes. Messi got the equaliser with a fizzing shot after 24 minutes, but R9 smashed in another goal just a few seconds after for Sliema.

Playing for pride, Messi made it 2-2 after 40 minutes, but Johan Cruyff made it 3-2 just before the end of the half. Amazingly, Messi completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute, and while it was 4-3 thanks to Cruyff in the 70th, Mane earned Haller10 his first point by making it 

4-4 in the 89th minute.

In the second game, Sliema took the lead quickly once more, and smashed the post in the 65th minute. It was a muted affair compared to the first for obvious reasons, while Gudja had to deal with a tight offside call after finding the net with 15 minutes to go. Haller10’s Messi scored again in the 83rd minute, but Aless10 hit a red-timed screamer to take all three points at the death.

Tight Fixtures Between bRandonN_93 and Mizu

Gzira United vs Floriana FC (bRandonN_93 vs Mizu)

Leg 1: 0-0

Leg 2: 0-0

The final matches of the night saw Gzira facing off against Floriana. The latter is seen as another contender for the title, but bRandonN_93 was the obvious aggressor during the early stages.

Mizu has incredible dribbling, but the first half ended at 0-0 despite numerous chances for both sides. It finished as a goalless draw, and was the first of the night. 

The second tie saw the sides negating each other once more, with top displays from the two goalkeepers throughout. It also ended 0-0, leaving both players frustrated, but also relieved not to have lost.