Seven clubs, seven players, but only four spots for the Playoffs. Group B had the makings of a thrilling group and it met that expectation. In this Group B recap, we're summarizing all the action which went down over multiple weeks - let's dive right in.
Malta BOV ePremier League Group B Recap - Top Heavy
Offering an identical format to the previous Group, all seven players competed in a single round-robin format, where each player faces one another once.
Here's a reminder of the clubs and their representatives for Group B:
- Mosta FC - Salvatore "Shortyyyt1" Assennato
- Marsaxlokk - Matthias "Tubbi" Farrugia
- Naxxar Lions - Luke "LukeBartolo99" Bartolo
- Sliema Wanderers - Ryan "Klawka" Cauchi
- Hibernians - Isaac "IKG" Kyle Grima
- Floriana - Owen "Owen Galea" Galea
- Gudja United - Kursten "Kursten" Sciberras
Competing offline with every match broadcasted to the entire nation, here's a look at what the final standings look like:
Post-Group Summary - Goal Difference
After weeks of competition, the final placements boiled down to goal difference, with Mosta placing first over Marsaxlokk thanks to a better Goal Difference of 4 over their opponents.
Otherwise, the top 4 carved their places in the leaderboard, with a few noteworthy surprises.
LukeBartolo99 - Falling Off?
Firstly, let's talk about Naxxar Lions and their representative Luke "LukeBartolo99" Bartolo - the clear favourite for this group after winning the MEPL competition in 2022, placing 7/8th last season.
Expectations were high for this veteran, with his only two losses coming at the hands of the two leaders - Mosta and Marsaxlokk. We're curious to see how he prepares for potential rematches in the Knockout Stage.
Top 2 - Down to Goals
Let's talk about the two leaders - "Shortyy" for Mosta FC and "Tubbi" for Marsaxlook who were both highlighted as favourites for this Group.
What's interesting here is that both clubs suffered one loss - who exactly did they lose to?
- Mosta FC (1-2) Sliema Wanderers
- Marsaxlokk (4-7) Mosta FC
On his journey to winning this group, "Shortyy" suffered a surprising loss to veteran Ryan "Klawka" Cauchi who spoiled his perfect record in a tight 2-1 match, helping him clench a to p4 spot.
Meanwhile, the title was decided by the close (4-7) match which gave "Shortyy" a chance to take the group. Then, on the final day, a massive 6-1 win over Gudja United gave him the Goal Difference needed to win.
The Bottom Three
With so many veterans and favourites in this Group, the less experienced players suffered. Gudja, Floriana and Hibernians all faced off one another in some tight matches, with Gudja taking the most losses.
Meanwhile, Floriana and Hibernians drew against one another, meaning that they relied on their performances against other teams for points.
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