Maccabi Tel Aviv edged past Hamrun Spartans 2-1 as Elad Madmon played hero once again with a stellar second-half injury-time goal after a very tough first-leg, third-round Europa League qualifying match in Malta.
Coach Zarko Lazetic’s squad came out extremely flat over the course of the opening half of the contest and could barely string a pass or two together.
As the game moved into the second half, things went from bad to worse when Maccabi midfielder Issouf Sissokho tripped up Saliou Thioune in the box, allowing Philippe Koffi to cleanly beat yellow-and-blue goalkeeper Roi Mishpati from the penalty spot to give Spartans a shock 1-0 lead in the 71st minute.
However, the stunning marker woke the Israeli team up, as Roy Revivo hammered home a corner kick less than 10 minutes later. That created an opportunity for Madmon to score another clutch goal, just like he did a couple of weeks ago against Pafos, as the striker received a great short pass from Dor Turgeman and slotted the ball past the helpless Spartans' keeper to give Maccabi the win.
Next Wednesday in Serbia – which will be the yellow-and-blue’s home game due to the security situation – Lazetic’s squad will look to advance to the playoff round of the Europa League, where the loser between Pafos and Dynamo Kyiv will be waiting following their Champions League third-round tie.
“This was a very tough game,” a relieved Lazetic began following the game. “In the previous three games, we played much better, and in the end, we didn’t take anything home in terms of the results garnered, but this victory is very important, and that’s the positive thing that has changed. I was very worried, especially in the second half, about how we looked with and without the ball – without ideas and without movement. Nothing was as we expected, and after we conceded the goal, we started playing. That’s the message we’re leaving with: to know how to keep going.”
Madmon, who scored the winning goal, shared his thoughts after the final whistle.
“It doesn’t really matter how we played; we came here to do a job. We didn’t do it all that well, and there’s a lot to improve. We will analyze everything and see how we can come more prepared for the next game. We haven’t advanced yet, and we’ll have to give everything.”
Revivo, whose 79th-minute equalizing tally was crucial, spoke about the team’s performance.
“We need to come into the game more focused and more prepared right from the start. But that is football – sometimes you just need to find a way to win. It was a tough match in every sense of the word. Like I said, sometimes you just have to win against all odds, and you must always believe. That’s the key.”
Both Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Haifa will be in UEFA Conference League third-round qualifying action on Thursday night, as the yellow-and-black will face Riga while the Greens will take on Rakow, as both sides look to produce positive results and have the opportunity to advance to the playoff round.
Maccabi Netanya defeats Hapoel Tel Aviv
Over in Toto Cup play, Maccabi Netanya defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-0 with three second-half goals that Maxim Plakushchenko assisted on, reminding the Reds that their previous wins were just preseason highlights.
After a scoreless first half, Plakushchenko sent a marvelous ball to Luccas Paraizo, who stabbed it past Hapoel’s keeper Asaf Tzur for a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute. Rotem Keller curled home an 84th-minute marker to double the advantage off another Plakushchenko ball, while the midfield maestro then set Oz Bilu free with a tremendous through ball to polish off the match in fine fashion.
“I think the players raised the bar in the second half,” Netanya bench boss Yossi Abukasis said. “I told them at halftime that it couldn’t be that we were losing so many balls and were disorganized. We were lucky that the score was 0-0. I’m happy that we were able to really come through and play well in the second half.”
Dusan Matovic, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s assistant coach, shared his thoughts as well.
“We didn’t come into this game aggressive enough and we lost almost every battle – we can’t play like that. There are a few things we need to improve, but it’s good to get a slap in the face sometimes. We lost a lot of balls in the second half. There wasn’t much pressure from Netanya; we just didn’t find solutions and didn’t make the right decisions.”
The man-of-the-match, Plakushchenko, also commented on the win.
“There is a good group here at the club, and the coach gives me the reins to do what is needed. I really appreciate that. Everyone gives everything – I hope we can continue like this and win some games. This is not the first time a coach has given me the chance to run the attack, but this is the first time in Netanya. I am a coach’s player and I give it all for them on the field of play. There is no better feeling than when the coach gives you confidence.”
Hapoel defender Shahar Piven spoke about the game from his point of view.
“In the first half, we were in the game, we were tactically playing well, and everything worked. What was wrong with us was the battles we had and our aggressiveness – that is where Netanya beat us.”
Hapoel Petah Tikva overwhelmed Ashdod SC 3-0, as Chipyoka Songa’s brace helped Omer Peretz’s team take the win at the port city.
Songa scored a pair of quick first-half goals, both off of Jocelin Tabi balls, while Noam Cohen sealed the deal in second-half injury time to hand Petah Tikva the dominant win.
“We did not play well,” Ashdod coach Haim Silvas began. “I am always looking to improve, but games like this are a shock to the system and make us realize that we are still far away. We have a long way to go to be ready for every game. It’s disappointing and it’s not fun to see the team like this. I hope we do what needs to be done and that we will not look like this again.”
“In terms of our ability on the pitch, this is a direct continuation of our last games in the Toto Cup,” Petah Tikva bench boss Omer Peretz said. “It’s just that in this game, we were able to finish our chances. There are a lot of good things, but just as I wasn’t excited after the losses, I won’t go out of my way here either after a win. But I will say that we now see a team on the pitch and that’s good.”