2015–16 Maltese Premier League

The 2015–16 Maltese Premier League was the 101st season of the Maltese Premier League. The season began on 21 August 2015 and concluded on 30 April 2016.[1] Hibernians were the defending champions, having won their 11th title the previous season.

Maltese Premier League
Season2015–16
ChampionsValletta
(23rd title)
RelegatedQormi
Naxxar Lions
Champions LeagueValletta
Europa LeagueHibernians
Birkirkara
Matches played198
Goals scored632 (3.19 per match)
Biggest home winBalzan 8–0 Naxxar Lions
Biggest away winNaxxar Lions 0–8 Hibernians
Highest scoringBirkirkara 6–3 Mosta

The Maltese Premier League consisted of three rounds, for a total of 33 matches per team, with the first two rounds played between 21 August 2015 and 14 February 2016, and the third and final round played from 20 February to 30 April 2016.[1] After the end of the second round, the points earned were halved.

Format

The format for the 2015–16 Maltese Premier League was the same as the previous season. First all teams meet twice in a round-robin format for a total of 22 matches. After the two first rounds all teams advanced to a second phase where half of the points from the first two rounds were carried over and teams played each other once.[2] These rules were changed before the previous season after a decision not to split the teams for a championship round and relegation round.[3]

Teams and stadiums
Location of teams in 2015–16 Maltese Premier League

Pietà Hotspurs and Żebbuġ Rangers were relegated after they finished eleventh and twelfth, respectively, the previous season. Pembroke Athleta, the 2014–15 First Division champion, made their debut in the Premier League. Runner-up St. Andrews returned to the highest level for the first time since the 1993–94 season.

ClubCityStadiumCapacity
BalzanBalzanVictor Tedesco Stadium6,000
BirkirkaraBirkirkaraTa' Qali National Stadium17,797
FlorianaFlorianaIndependence Arena3,000
HiberniansPaolaHibernians Ground8,000
MostaMostaCharles Abela Memorial Stadium600
Naxxar LionsNaxxarCentenary Stadium2,000
Pembroke AthletaPembrokeSirens Stadium1,500
QormiQormiQormi Ground1,000
Sliema WanderersSliemaTigne Sports Complex1,000
St. AndrewsSt. Andrew'sLuxol Sports Ground800
Tarxien RainbowsTarxienTony Cassar Sports Ground1,000
VallettaVallettaCentenary Stadium2,000

Source: Scoresway

First round

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Valletta 22 17 2 3 49 21 +28 53
2 Hibernians 22 15 5 2 53 25 +28 50
3 Balzan 22 14 3 5 42 21 +21 45
4 Birkirkara 22 12 6 4 41 20 +21 42
5 Floriana 22 12 3 7 36 25 +11 39
6 Tarxien Rainbows 22 10 7 5 37 17 +20 37
7 Mosta 22 8 6 8 29 33 −4 30
8 Pembroke Athleta 22 7 4 11 33 39 −6 25
9 Sliema Wanderers 22 7 3 12 31 36 −5 24
10 Naxxar Lions 22 4 2 16 22 54 −32 14
11 Qormi 22 2 3 17 19 49 −30 9
12 St. Andrews 22 1 2 19 14 66 −52 5
Source: MFA, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.

Results (matches 1–22)
Home \ Away BAL BIR FLO HIB MOS NXX PEM QOR SLI StA TAR VAL
Balzan — 1–0 1–0 1–1 4–1 4–2 5–1 1–0 1–0 5–1 0–0 1–2
Birkirkara 4–1 — 0–0 0–2 1–1 4–0 3–0 1–0 2–0 4–0 1–0 1–2
Floriana 2–0 0–0 — 2–4 1–2 2–1 4–2 3–0 3–0 3–2 0–3 1–2
Hibernians 3–2 1–1 2–1 — 1–4 4–1 2–1 4–2 2–1 3–0 2–0 1–0
Mosta 1–3 0–3 0–1 0–4 — 0–2 3–3 1–0 1–2 3–1 0–0 2–2
Naxxar Lions 0–2 2–2 0–1 0–7 0–1 — 1–5 1–1 1–2 0–1 0–5 1–2
Pembroke Athleta 0–0 1–4 1–2 1–1 0–2 2–0 — 0–0 0–2 4–3 1–2 2–3
Qormi 0–5 1–2 0–1 1–2 1–3 0–5 1–2 — 3–6 3–0 1–4 0–2
Sliema Wanderers 0–2 1–3 1–2 2–2 1–1 1–2 1–0 0–0 — 6–1 0–2 2–4
St. Andrews 0–2 1–3 0–5 2–2 0–3 1–2 0–4 0–4 0–1 — 1–1 0–3
Tarxien Rainbows 3–0 2–2 1–1 0–1 0–0 4–0 0–1 4–0 3–2 1–0 — 1–3
Valletta 0–1 4–0 3–1 3–2 3–0 3–1 0–2 2–1 0–0 4–0 1–1 —
Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second round

All teams advanced to the second round. Teams kept their records from the first round, but their points from the first round were halved and rounded. Teams played each other once.[2]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Valletta (C) 33 25 4 4 69 27 +42 53 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Hibernians 33 22 8 3 85 33 +52 49 Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round
3 Birkirkara 33 20 8 5 64 29 +35 47
4 Balzan 33 20 6 7 69 33 +36 44
5 Floriana 33 18 4 11 60 42 +18 39
6 Tarxien Rainbows 33 15 8 10 59 31 +28 35
7 Sliema Wanderers[lower-alpha 1] 33 12 6 15 49 51 −2 30
8 Pembroke Athleta 33 10 6 17 48 61 −13 24
9 Mosta 33 10 7 16 42 60 −18 22
10 St. Andrews (O) 33 4 3 26 32 90 −58 13 Qualification for the relegation play-offs
11 Naxxar Lions (R) 33 5 4 24 29 95 −66 12 Relegation to the Maltese First Division
12 Qormi (R) 33 3 4 26 26 80 −54 9
Source: MFA, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-off (only if deciding champion and UEFA competition places); 3) Head-to-head points; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Head-to-head goals scored; 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Sliema Wanderers would have qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2015–16 Maltese FA Trophy, but failed to obtain a UEFA licence.[4]

Results (matches 23–33)
Home \ Away BAL BIR FLO HIB MOS NXX PEM QOR SLI StA TAR VAL
Balzan 1–1 8–0 2–1 1–0 2–2 1–2
Birkirkara 0–1 2–1 6–3 2–0 2–1
Floriana 0–2 4–0 2–3 3–1 2–3 2–0
Hibernians 3–1 3–1 3–0 6–0 1–1
Mosta 0–3 2–4 3–5 1–1 1–2
Naxxar Lions 0–4 0–8 2–1 1–1 1–1 0–3
Pembroke Athleta 0–1 1–1 3–1 0–2 0–4
Qormi 0–3 1–3 0–1 1–0 2–4 0–2
Sliema Wanderers 3–3 2–2 1–0 4–2 3–1 0–3
St. Andrews 1–3 1–4 3–1 3–1 2–3
Tarxien Rainbows 1–2 0–1 0–1 6–1 0–1
Valletta 0–0 1–1 4–0 2–0 2–1 2–0
Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation play-offs

A play-off match took place between St. Andrews, the tenth-placed team from the Premier League and Senglea Athletic, the third-placed team from the First Division for a place in the 2016–17 Maltese Premier League.

St. Andrews2–1Senglea Athletic
Pena Beltre  52'
Nwoko  86'		 Report Dalli  20' (pen.)
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri

Top goalscorers
As of 12 April 2016
Rank Player Team Goals
1 Lydon Micallef Balzan 17
2 Alfred Effiong Balzan 16
3 Mario Fontanella Floriana 15
4 Gilmar Da Silva Ribeiro Hibernians 14
Federico Falcone Valletta
5 Michael Mifsud Valletta 12
Abdelkarim Nafti Valletta
Jorge Da Silva Pereira Hibernians

Source: MFA

References
  1. "MFA Match calendar for 2015/16 season". mfa.com.mt. Malta Football Association. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. "Premier League: season rules". scoresway.com. Scoresway. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. "BOV Premier League kicks-off on Saturday". maltafootball.com. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  4. "Old meets new in KO duel". Times of Malta. 14 May 2016.
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