Maccabi Tel Aviv face Lithuania champions FK Suduva for the second time in a year, the same team which last season recorded two victories and ended Maccabi’s European campaign. Last time round, both teams met for a two legged tie in the Europa League third qualifying round. This season the two Champions will face each other for a one-off knockout match in Lithuania and will compete for a place in the Champions League third qualifying round.
So what changes took place since last summer?
Before talking of the changes, one has to mention that Suduva reached this stage of the competition at the expense of Estonian champions Flora Talinn and after a dramatic first qualifying round. The Lithuanians needed 120 minutes and a penalty shoot-out which they had won 4-2 after a 1-1 draw in regular time. In fact, Mihret Topcagic’s 78th minute penalty rescued Suduva from elimination as his spot-kick cancelled Talinn’s earlier lead to send both teams into extra time and keep their hopes alive.
Despite playing a 120 minutes last week, the hosts were given a week’s rest as their league match was postponed to allow them more time to prepare. Just like last season, Suduva are in the midst of their domestic league season, which is standard in several countries at this part of Europe – as they already played 15 matches this season. With one game in hand, Suduva are still leading the table with a two-point advantage from second place with 11 victories, two draws and two defeats.
One of the major differences of Suduva 2020 is on the touchlines. Vladimir Chiburin of Kazakhstan who led Suduva to success in recent years, including knocking Maccabi out last season, decided to leave at the end of the season. In January, Austrian Heimo Pfeifenberger took over but his reign at the club lasted for only 4 months. Saulius Sirmelis, (64) who spent the majority of his coaching career in his native Lithuania as well as Kazakhstan, neighboring Latvia and even Sweden was appointed as coach.
As opposed to the identity of the coach on the touchlines, Suduva’s squad experienced less changes as it is a similar squad that faced Maccabi last season. Once again Suduva’s frontline will be led by Bosnian forward Topcagic who also scored against Maccabi as well as Croatian striker Josip Tadic. The duo are Suduva’s leading goal-scorers with 5 and 6 goals respectively. Another attacking threat comes from defense as Bosnian defender Semir Kerla (1.91cm) scored 4 league goals so far. Twenty six year old Ukrainian defender Yevhen Yefremov, 31-year-old Austrian midfielder Thomas Salamon and 25-year-old Latvian striker Valerijs Sabala who doesn’t command a place in the starting line-up, are Suduva’s new signings.
Last season, Suduva emulated their 2018/19 European journey as Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros knocked them out in the Playoff of the Europa League with a 4-2 victory on aggregate.
In order to advance, Maccabi will need to be the first team to beat Suduva at home in Europe since Red Star Belgrade in the summer of 2018. The Lithuanians have since remained unbeaten in 6 matches, but most of those matches were played with fans in the stadium.
