Preview:
Seven days after beating Hamrun Spartans, Maccabi returned to the TSC Arena in Backa Topola for the first leg of the Europa League Playoff against Dynamo Kyiv.
Maccabi’s 200th match in European competitions will see them face the Ukrainians for the first of a two-legged tie which will ultimately decide who advances to the Europa League phase. Next week, Dynamo Kyiv host Maccabi at the Lublin Arena in Poland for the return leg.
Following the transfer of Dor Turgeman to MLS side New England Revolution and the potential departure of Weslley Patati, Maccabi’s coach, Zarko Lazetic, made several changes to his side starting line-up.
Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal with Heitor and Ali Mohamed Camara lining up 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 four that would try and contain the Ukrainian side that feature former player Eduardo Guerrero.
The eligibility of new signing, Kristijan Belic, allowed Lazetic to name the Serbian midfielder alongside Issouf Sissokho in Maccabi’s engine room. Dor Peretz, was named at the top of the midfield trio, leading the team out with the captain’s armband on his 78th European match for the club. Osher Davida on one wing and Sagiv Jehezkel on the opposite flank supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation. Elad Madmon who scored two late goals in the campaign so far, spearheaded the attack. On the bench Lazetic named goalkeeper Ofek Melika, Raz Shlomo, Denny Gropper, Yonas Malede, Nemanja Stojic, Noam Ben Harosh, Ben Lederman, Itamar Noy, Saied Abu Farchi, Ido Shahar, Itay Ben Hemo and Ion Nicolaescu
First Half
A thunder and lightning storm forced kickoff to be postponed by 15 minutes, but when the match got underway Maccabi created a great chance inside the opening minute. Sagiv Jehezkel slipped the ball into the path of Dor Peretz who found himself behind Dynamo Kyiv’s defense. But the Maccabi skipper couldn’t gain control of the ball, and the chance was missed. Maccabi continued to dominate as Issouf Sissokho fed Jehezkel down the left, only to see his cross blocked allowing goalkeeper Ruslan Neshcheret to collect.
In the 8th minute Kristijan Belic dispossessed a Kyiv opponent deep inside the visitors’ territory before picking Dor Peretz whose powerful shot was blocked by the advancing keeper. Four minutes later, Maccabi were rewarded for their efforts with Jehezkel and Peretz combining well for the opener. Jehezkel picked Peretz’s run into the box before the Maccabi captain drilled the ball home past Neshcheret to score his first of the season. The Kyiv keeper denied Davida in the 17th minute as two minutes later he was also kept busy this time by a dangerous Madmon shot on 19. Two minutes later, Neshcheret could do nothing against a Davida curling left foot shot that sailed past him but rattled the post.
A last gasp Tyrese Asante tackle on the edge of the area managed to block an Andryi Yarmolenko left foot drive after a confusion between Ali Camara and Peretz gifted Kyiv the ball just inside Maccabi’s half. Right on the half hour mark Vladyslav Vanat created the time and space inside the box but saw his effort roll across the face of Roi Mishpati’s goal and wide of the target. A minute later, the visitors were back on level terms. Vanat carved Maccabi’s defense open with a through ball to Nazar Voloshyn whose shot went in off the post to beat Mishpati. Roy Revivo who looked lively down Maccabi’s left flank drilled a left foot shot from the edge of the area which Neshcheret could only palm over his crossbar on 41. The halftime whistle sent both teams to try and dry out in the dressing rooms
Second half
With no changes after the interval the two sides returned to the pitch for the second half as the heavy rain didn’t stop pouring. Three minutes after the restart Jehezkel remained on the ground following a rough tackle by Kostiantyn Vivcharenko which went unpunished by referee Giorgi Kruashvili. Davida lost possession on the edge of Kyiv’s area before Issouf Sissokho was cautioned for a foul on Voloshyn. The referee was called to the VAR to review the tackle on Jehezkel and after watching the replays on the screen showed Vivcharenko the red card. Maccabi took advantage of the numerical advantage eight minutes later as Belic sent a perfect square pass across the face of goal allowing Jehezkel to sweep the ball home and restore Maccabi’s lead. Jehezkel had a powerful shot saved by Neshcheret on 61 before Belic was booked for a mistimed tackle on a Kyiv player. Lazetic made two changes in the 66th minute as Belic and Elad Madmon came off to a standing ovation by the 100 Maccabi fans as they were replaced by Ido Shahar and Ion Nicolaescu.
Three minutes later Maccabi increased their lead as with Revivo found Peretz in the middle if the Kyiv penalty area. Maccabi’s captain shrugged off a challenge by a Kyiv defender before firing in his second of the night to make it 3-1 on 69. In the 78th minute Davida raced half the length of the pitch to carry a counterattack before feeding Jehezkel whose shot sailed wide of the post. Two minutes later Mispahti got a hand to turn Eduardo Guerrero’s powerful shot over the crossbar. Lazetic made another change as Jehezkel bowed out and was replaced by Saied Abu Farchi who came on for the final seven minutes. Lazetic made his two final substitutions on the night as Nemanja Stojic and Itamar Noy replaced both Ali Camara and Sissokho in the 90th minute. The full-time whistle ended the first half of the tie as the two sides will meet in Lublin next week where it will be decided who advances to the Europa League Phase and who will play in the Conference League.
