Preview

Maccabi arrived at the Aspmyra stadium ahead of the EUROPA League MD7 encounter with Norwegian Champions Bodo/Glimt aiming to keep their qualification aspirations in tact. Two victories in the last two matches against Turkish side Besiktas and Latvia’s RFS took Maccabi’s point tally to six points from the first six league matches.

Zarko Lazetic was missing injured duo Gabi Kanichowsky and Sagiv Jehezkel and Weslley Patati who is serving a one-match-touchline ban made several changes from the last match.

Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal with Idan Nachmias and Nemanja Stojic as the two central defenders in front of him. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completed Maccabi’s defensive back-line. Joris van Overeem and Issouf Sisspko were named by Lazetic in Maccabi’s engine room with Dor Peretz completing the midfield trio with the captain’s armband. Hisham Layous on one wing and Osher Davida on the opposite flank supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation in support of Dor Turgeman who led the line.

On the bench, Lazetic named Simon Sluga and Shalev Saadya, Stav Lemkin, Eran Zahavi, Raz Shlomo, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Ofir Davidzada, Ido Shahar, Idan Weinbrg, Roey Magor.

First Half

After a nervous start which saw Maccabi get used to the artificial pitch and the sub zero weather conditions, Zarko Lazetic’s side took the lead in their first ever chance. Issouf Sissokho burst forward in the 12th minute and picked Dor Turgeman on the edge of Bodo/Glimt’s area. The young forward slipped the ball to Dor Peretz who kept his calm and drilled his shot past Nikita Haikin to put Maccabi infront. In the 23rd minute the crossbar rescued Roi Mishpati from conceding after Isak Dybvik Määttä met Patrick Berg’s cross with a powerful header which rattled the woodwork.

In the 39th minute Osher Davida was penalised for a foul on Fredrik Andre Bjorkan near the corner and was consequently booked. Berg whipped in the resulting free kick and found Kasper Høgh who nodded home the equalizer at the far post to level the score. Turgeman required medical treatment on 44 but w as back on the pitch before the fourth official signalled for 2 minutes of added time. Nemanja Stojic was also cautioned by Spanish referee Rocardo de Burgos for a mistimed tackle on Määttä right on the halfway line. That was the final action of the first half as the halftime whistle sent both teams to warm up in the dressing rooms during the interval.

Second Half

With no changes at the restart Bodo/Glimt continued to look dangerous as Bjørkan was booked for a foul on Joris van Overeem in the 55th minute. Two minutes later van Overeem released Turgeman with a perfect through ball but Bodo/Glimt’s defense managed to recover.

A minute after the hour mark the hosts completed their comeback as Jostein Gunderson tore through the middle of Maccabi’s defense before slipping the ball to Hakon Evjen who blasted last Misphati. Jens Petter Hauge who was introduced as substitute made an immediate impact as his cross struck the hand of Tyrese Asante. The referee pointed at the spot and Høgh rolled the penalty beyond Mishpati’s reach to increase Bodo’s lead to 3-1. Lazetic made a double change on 78 as Henry Addo came on for Davida while Elad Madmon replaced Turheman. A last gasp Van Overeem tackle on Maccabi’s goalmouth saw the Dutch born midfielder fling himself across the goal to block Bodo from scoring a fourth on 83.