Valletta and all Maltese football fans are eagerly awaiting today’s first leg of the Champions League second qualifying round between Valletta and Ekranas of Lithaunia.

The match is being played at the Hibernians Stadium and kicks off at 7.30pm.

As everyone is aware, Valletta are eyeing a place in the third round and the City clan, starting from club president Victor Sciriha, coach Jesmond Zerafa, players and supporters, are confident that they can reach the third round, thus becoming the first Maltese club ever to reach such a stage in the Champions league.

It is not an easy task, but the City squad seems to have been strengthened considerably with the arrival of Malta striker Michael Mifsud, who is expected to make his debut this year for Valletta this evening.

However, Zerafa received a setback last week when Denni Rocha dos Santos was injured in the match against Tre Fiori of San Marino. Till yesterday, the player was not yet 100 per cent fit and Zerafa said it would be better not to risk any player who is not 100 per cent fit, giving a clear indication that he does not intend to include the Brazilian midfielder/striker in his line-up.

Instead, Zerafa now is able to make use of formidable striker Michael Mifsud who wants to prove himself once again with the Citizens after his ‘disastrous’ spell at Qormi between January and early May.

Mifsud is expected to join Alfred Effiong in attack with the latter inserting himself quite well in his new surroundings.

Otherwise, Zerafa is expected to have his top formation – also available is left flank defender Ian Azzopardi who will be returning from suspension.

Valletta need all the support available for this evening’s clash. Against Ekranas it will not be easy as one might expect.

The Lithuanian club won the country’s league six times in all, four of them in the past decade (2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). They won the Cup on five occasions in 1985, 1998, 2000, 2010 and 2011 and the Super Cup four times – 1998, 2006, 2010 and 2011.

It is not the first time they are playing against a Maltese club. In 1993-94, they faced Floriana in the Champions League winning their home and away matches with a similar score of 1-0 for an aggregate win of 2-0.

Among their squad are four foreigners – Mauro Lucas from Brazil, Marko Andelkovic, Dusan Matovic of Serbia and Uchenna Calistus Umeh of Nigeria.

At present, Ekranas lead the league standings in Lithuania with 43 points from 17 matches, six more than second placed Zalgiris. In their last match on Saturday they were surprisingly held to a goalless draw by mid-table Krouja.

The MFA said yesterday in a statement that all MFA VIP card holders can make use of their card to enter the stadium at side A and not the VIP zone.

The VIP zone is only available to both sides’ officials and their guests, the MFA Council and FK Ekranas supporters.