Pre Game
With top spot in the group guaranteed for the winner of this match which will also advance to the Conference Round of 16, Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived at Bloomfield stadium for the match against LASK. Prior to kickoff, the Austrians were level on points (10) with Maccabi after the corresponding match in Klagenfurt ended in a 1-1 draw in September. While LASK that trail Maccabi in the table on goal difference, arrived in Israel on the back of a 3-3 draw in the league, Barak Itzhaki’s side return to action after a three-week long international break followed by the reseeding break.
Itzhaki made some changes from the side which was held to a 1-1 draw in the Tel Aviv derby yet kept a relatively similar formation. Enric Saborit joined Shahar Piven and Luis Hernandez as three central defenders in front of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Andre Geraldes on the right and Matan Hozez in an unfamiliar role as a left wing back were the two wide players in Itzhaki’s five-man midfield that saw Sheran Yeini replace the injured Dan Glazer, at the anchorman role. Eyal Golasa joined the skipper in the engine room allowing Gabi Kanichowsky a more attacking role in support of Brandley Kuwas and Croatian striker Stipe Perica who once again led the line upfront.
First Half
Shortly after kickoff as flares where lit in the stand behind Daniel Peretz’s goal and the smoke covered the pitch limiting the visibility, French referee Jerome Bristard stopped the game for three minutes allowing the smoke to clear.
Nine minutes from the start, a long Luis Hernandez ball released Matan Hozez who charge down the left flank before winning a corner. Brandley Kuwas managed to find Hozez unmarked with the resulting corner, but the diminutive winger sent his shot high over the crossbar.
Six minutes later, an Andre Geraldes telling cross from the right caught the Lask defense flat and was directed at Stipe Perica but the tall Croatian striker couldn’t connect and tap the ball home.
In the 22nd minute Lask’s striker Mamoudou Karamoko created the space deep inside Maccabi’s half before testing Daniel Peretz with a dangerous shot which was caught by the keeper.
Right on the half hour mark Maccabi reached their best chance as a counter attack which began with Eyal Golasa down the middle. Golasa skipped past two Austrian tackles and found Gabi Kanichowsky who released Geraldes before the Portugeuse full back fired his shot against the keeper.
Maccabi came close to break the deadlock in the 39th minute as Shahar Piven rose high to meet a Kanichowsky corner and direct a header that beat Shlager only to be denied by the crossbar. In the 45th minute however Maccabi seemed destined to score as Saborit carved the LASK defence open with a perfect through ball to Perica who raced clear through. But the tall Croatian striker who had only Schlagerto beat was denied by the Austrian keeper who pulled a stunning save that kept the result goalless at halftime.
Second Half
Itzhaki didn’t make any changes at the interval while his Austrian counterpart, Andreas Wieland, introduced Phillipp Wiesinger for Felix Luckeneder at the restart. Peretz managed to deny Thomas Goiginger who found himself unmarked deep inside Maccabi’s penalty area. At the opposite end Golasa wasted a chance as he opted to dribble instead of passing to Brandley Kuwas who was unmarked in the Lask penalty area.
Schlager denied a solo effort by Perica with his feet on 55 while Hozez couldn’t reach the rebound which sailed over his head. Two minutes later Sheran Yeini had the ball in the back of the net but the goal was immediately ruled out for offside. Maccabi kept on pressing forward with Geraldes tormenting the Austrians down the right and were almost rewarded in the 59th minute. But a last gasp tackle by a Lask defender prevented Golasa from converting a Geraldes cut back.
Peretz was at full stretch and pulled a stunning save to deny Keito Nakamura whose shot was pushed beyond the post on 68. A minute later in Itzhaki made a double change in the 67th minute as Ofir Davidzada came in for Hozez while Osama Khalaila replaced Perica.
Kanichowsky sent a low left foot drive wide of the post in the 79th minute and as it seemed as though Maccabi took their foot off the pedal, Itzhaki added another fresh pair of legs as Eduardo Guerrero replaced Kuwas. Nakamura sent a volley past Pertez in the 83rd minute but the Lask goal was also ruled out for offside. Eden Shamir who scored Maccabi’s late equaliser in Austria replaced Golasa in the 85th minute.
In the 89th minute however the visitors took the lead through Sascha Horvath who exploited a mistake in Maccabi’s defence before sliding the ball under Peretz to put LASK infront.
