Marsa and Sliema drew 1:1 in the first match of the Premier League regular season on Thursday evening. The hosts took the lead through N. Muscat in the 36th minute before J. Portelli equalised for the visitors in the 73rd. And here's the thing — two goals, two cards, and not much separation between sides.
S. Guehi picked up the first booking six minutes in, and the game stayed tight enough that Muscat's yellow followed at the hour mark. By then the visitors had already lost their first substitute, I. Davey coming off at the break. The hosts held a high line and pressed high up the pitch, but Sliema found a way back into it.
Second half changes came thick and fast. Z. Grech replaced someone at 55 minutes, and Marsa brought on three players together at 80 — U. Arias, L. Caruana and R. Mihana. Portelli's strike came just before the storm of substitutions, and by then the momentum had shifted enough to level things.
Weder went off the field to collect yellow at 88, and O. El Hasni followed a minute into stoppage time. Sliema added S. Cipriott at 87, trying to hold what they had earned. The match finished with neither side willing to yield.
Marsa sit fourth with eight points after four games — two wins, two draws, nothing lost. Sliema sit fifth on seven points, having suffered one defeat alongside their two victories. The gap between them is narrow, and this draw keeps it that way.