The Yellow & Blue advanced to Europa League second round qualifying thanks to a 1:0 home win (2:1 aggregate) over Ferencváros and will now face Serbian side Radnicki Nis. Eliran Atar’s first half goal made all the difference as over 8,000 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who came to support the team at the Netanya Stadium went home happy.

Also on the Website:
Ivic: “It’s on to the next round”
Rikan: “It’s good we’re playing tough opponents, it will get us into shape faster

Prematch
Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Eli Dasa, Jair Amador, Eitan Tibi, Enric Saborit, Dor Peretz, Ruslan Barsky, Dor Micha (C), Avi Rikan, Eliran Atar and Vidar Kjartansson.
Available on the bench were keeper Haviv Ohayon, Dan Glazer, Omer Atzily, Itay Shechter, Shahar Piven, Aaron Schoenfeld and Sheran Yeini.

First Half
Very few chances were created in the opening twenty minutes of the contest until Atar’s corner found Amador but his header went out. Atar was active again in the 27’ when he tried a half bicycle kick thanks to a Dasa pass, but his attempt missed the target.

Ferencváros had their first chance of the contest in the 32’ when Kjartan Finnbogason’s shot from the left just went over the bar while two minutes later Rikan was issued a yellow card for a reckless tackle in the midfield. The visitor’s threatened to take the lead when Davide Lanzafame’s 44’ chance was cleared by Tibi and his free kick from the left just went wide right of the Maccabi goal.

As the match seemed to be headed into the break goalless, Barsky sent a tremendous pass from Maccabi’s side of the pitch to Atar who took the ball just outside of the box and from 20 meters turned and fired a right footed bullet into the goal for a 1:0 Maccabi lead at halftime.

Second Half
The Yellow & Blue looked for a second goal in the 52’ but Peretz’s shot and Rikan’s rebound follow up were taken care of by the Ferencváros keeper Denes Dibusz. Atar then came in off the right wing in the 56’ but his opportunity flew wildly over goal and nine minutes later Dasa sent Vidar a fine pass but the Icelandic striker’s attempt was blocked by the keeper. In the 66’ Coach Ivic made his first substitution inserting Aaron Schoenfeld in favor of Kjartansson.

Omer Atzily was Maccabi’s second substitute in the 72’ as goal scorer Atar came off to a standing ovation by the Yellow & Blue faithful. Schoenfeld almost added an insurance marker five minutes later but his header off an Atzily corner hit the post while Atzily’s brilliant chance a minute later also went off the same right post.

Sheran Yeini entered the match in the 89’ for Rikan as Macabi wrapped up a 1:0 (2:1 aggregate) win to advance to the second round of Europa League qualifying where they’ll face Radnicki Nis from Serbia.