Victor Tedesco Stadium – 24 October 2025:
It was a night of mixed fortunes at the Victor Tedesco Stadium as Gżira United secured a vital 3-1 victory over Tarxien Rainbows to move clear of the relegation zone, while Żabbar St Patrick missed the chance to close in on a Top Six spot after being held to a 1-1 draw by Mosta.

Gżira United 3 – 1 Tarxien Rainbows

Gżira United took a significant step toward safety with a convincing performance against Tarxien Rainbows, wrapping up the points by half-time.

Desperate for a win to climb away from the bottom places, Darren Abdilla’s men made their intentions clear early on and broke the deadlock on 29 minutes. Tarxien defender Rafael Tavares was shown a straight red card for handling the ball on the goal line to deny Andre Pena Da Costa, and from the resulting penalty, Gabriel Mentz calmly slotted home to make it 1-0.

The Maroons doubled their lead nine minutes later when Andre Pena Da Costa found the net with a composed finish, putting Gżira firmly in control before the break.

Despite being reduced to ten men, Tarxien continued to battle and pulled one back through William Salomao on 85 minutes, briefly threatening a late comeback. However, Da Costa struck again in the closing stages to secure his brace and seal a well-deserved victory for Gżira, who now move up to eighth place on nine points.

Tarxien, meanwhile, remain third from bottom on five points, facing an uphill battle to escape the drop zone.

Żabbar St Patrick 1 – 1 Mosta

In the evening’s other fixture, Żabbar St Patrick were left frustrated after dropping crucial points in their chase for a Top Six berth, settling for a 1-1 draw against Mosta.

The match was slow to ignite, with few chances in a cagey first half. Żabbar enjoyed more possession but struggled to create clear openings against a well-organised Mosta defence.

The Saints eventually broke the deadlock on 72 minutes when Zean Leonardi kept his composure to slot home and put his side ahead. However, their lead lasted just eight minutes as Mosta drew level from the penalty spot on 78 minutes, with Leo Fernandes converting confidently to make it 1-1.

Żabbar’s inability to hold onto their advantage proved costly. The draw lifts them to 10 points, but they risk falling further behind the top-six contenders Birkirkara and Marsaxlokk, who both sit on 13 points with matches still to play against Floriana and Sliema Wanderers respectively.

For Mosta, currently second from bottom, the point offers a small morale boost as they continue their fight for survival.

Summary

It was a tale of contrasting emotions at the Victor Tedesco Stadium — joy for Gżira United, who climbed to safety with a commanding display, and frustration for Żabbar St Patrick, whose Top Six hopes took a blow. As the YoHealth Malta Premier League approaches the final two matches of its opening phase, every point now carries growing significance in both halves of the table.