Champions Valletta will be facing newly-promoted and Premier League debutants Santa Lucia on match-day 1 of the 2019/20 BOV Premier League.

The forthcoming Premier league will commence on August 23 and will come to an end on April 25 2020.

The draws for the BOV Premier League 2019/20 were made yesterday at Ta' Qali.

The top matches of Matchday 1 seem to be the opener between Birkirkara and Floriana, Gzira United v Hamrun Spartans and the Balzan-Sliema Wanderers clashes.

The other two newly-promoted sides Sirens and Gudja United, also have a difficult start. Sirens will be facing Senglea Athletic while Gudja take on Hibernians.

Tarxien Rainbows face Mosta in the other match.

Matches will be played from Fridays to Sundays and on a few occasions on Mondays at the National Stadium, Centenary Stadium and the Hibernians Stadium. The Victor Tedesco Stadium will not be used for Premier League football this season. First and Second Division matches are being played there.

As in recent years, the bottom two teams are relegated while the team placing third from bottom takes part in a Premier League Play-Off against the team finishing third in Division 1.

The champions will play in the following season's UEFA Champions League while the 2^nd and 3^rd placed, as well as the Trophy winners (or perhaps the 4^th placed team in the league) will take part in the UEFA Europa League.

The first derby between Floriana and Valletta will be played on the third day of the league campaign.

As last season, Valletta will conclude their league commitments against Ħamrun Spartans while in their penultimate match, the Citizens will lock horns with Hibernians.

 The Paolites also have a difficult sequence of fixtures in the final weeks of the season as their last five matches are against Sliema Wanderers, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta and Gżira United.

 Birkirkara are due to face rivals Valletta on the fifth day while their final match of the season is against Sirens.

 Santa Lucia, who are preparing for their first season in the top flight, have back-to-back derbies against Gudja United and Tarxien Rainbows on the third and fourth day of the season.

 The draws of the fixtures across all divisions were presided over by Dr Angelo Chetcuti, General Secretary of the Malta FA, Charles Azzopardi, Executive PR and Marketing at Bank Of Valletta, and Rodney Pisani from the Malta FA's Competitions Department.

 

BOV PREMIER LEAGUE

OPENING PROGRAMME - 23-25 August, 2019
Birkirkara vs Floriana
Sirens vs Senglea Athletic
Balzan vs Sliema Wanderers
Tarxien Rainbows vs Mosta
Valletta vs Santa Lucia
Gudja United vs Hibernians
Gżira United vs Ħamrun Spartans

 

Sequence of fixtures

BALZAN

v. Sliema, Floriana, Birkirkara, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia.

BIRKIRKARA
v. Floriana, Senglea, Balzan, Mosta, Valletta, Hibernians, Gżira, Ħamrun, Gudja, Santa Lucia, Tarxien, Sliema, Sirens.

FLORIANA
v. Birkirkara, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema.

GUDJA UNITED
v. Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Birkirkara, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta.

GŻIRA UNITED
v. Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Birkirkara, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians.

ĦAMRUN SPARTANS

v. Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Birkirkara, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta.

HIBERNIANS
v. Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Birkirkara, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira.

MOSTA
v. Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Birkirkara, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja.

SANTA LUCIA
v. Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Birkirkara, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan.

SENGLEA ATHLETIC
v. Sirens, Birkirkara, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien.

SIRENS

v. Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Birkirkara.

SLIEMA WANDERERS
v. Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Birkirkara, Floriana.

TARXIEN RAINBOWS

v. Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun, Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Valletta, Gżira, Gudja, Birkirkara, Sirens, Senglea.

VALLETTA
v. Santa Lucia, Sliema, Floriana, Balzan, Birkirkara, Gżira, Gudja, Tarxien, Sirens, Senglea, Mosta, Hibernians, Ħamrun.

BOV FIRST DIVISION LEAGUE - 13 September, 2019

Pietà Hotspurs vs Mqabba
Swieqi United vs Naxxar Lions
Lija Athletic vs Pembroke Athleta
Żejtun Corinthians vs Żebbuġ Rangers
Vittoriosa Stars vs Qrendi
Fgura United vs St Andrews
St George's vs Qormi

 

BOV SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE - 13 September, 2019
Xgħajra Tornados vs Luqa St Andrew's
Marsa vs Rabat Ajax
San Ġwann vs Mġarr United
Melita vs Mellieħa
Żurrieq vs Birzebbuġa St Peter's
Kalkara vs Marsaxlokk
Żabbar St Patrick start league campaign on second day

 

BOV THIRD DIVISION LEAGUE - 21 September, 2019
Msida St Joseph vs Kirkop United
Mtarfa vs Mdina Knights
Għaxaq vs Attard
Sta Venera Lightnings vs Għargħur
Dingli Swallows vs Marsaskala
Ta' Xbiex vs Siġġiewi