Jurgen Degabriele netted a goal in each half, leading Hibernians to an impressive victory over reigning champions Hamrun Spartans, continuing their winning streak.
The Malta international opened the scoring with a sublime first-half strike and added a second shortly after the break, finishing off a well-worked move initiated by Alfred Silas. Hamrun struggled to respond and could have suffered an even heavier defeat, with substitute Isaiah Chukunyere coming close to adding a third in the second half.
Alessandro Zinnari fielded the same starting eleven that cruised past Naxxar Lions 6-0 in their previous outing. On the other hand, Branko Nisevic made two changes, recalling Federico Falcone and Alex Bruno, who were pivotal in their 2-1 victory over Zabbar SP.
Degabriele’s opener set the tone early on, pouncing on a poor clearance from Juan Corbalan. With his back to goal, the striker swiftly turned away from Roko Prsa and fired a precise angled shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Henry Bonello, giving Hibernians the perfect start.
Despite Hamrun showing glimpses of quality, particularly through Ryan Camenzuli, who struck the side netting following a Luke Montebello assist, the champions rarely looked threatening in the first half. Camenzuli’s dangerous cross on the brink of half-time found no one in the box, summing up their attacking frustrations.
Early in the second half, Silas delivered a perfectly weighted ball that split the Hamrun defense, allowing Degabriele to capitalize on a mix-up between Corbalan and Joseph Mbong. Degabriele calmly slotted the ball past the stranded Bonello to double Hibernians’ lead.
As the game progressed, Hibernians continued to exploit gaps in the Spartans’ midfield, with Alex Bruno excelling in his attacking runs. Bruno set up substitute Chukunyere for a chance, but his shot was blocked by Sven Xerri.
Hamrun’s best chance came from a powerful low drive by Mbong, which was dealt with by Pablo Sanchez, but it was one of the few moments of concern for the Hibernians’ defense.