Preview:
Maccabi returned to the TSC Arena in Backa Topola for the MD5 Europa League home match against French side Olympique Lyon.
With his side still seeking their first victory in the league phase, Maccabi’s Head Coach Zarko Lazetic made several changes from the side that suffered a 6-2 league defeat to Beitar Jerusalem.
Roi Mishpati who was sent off against Beitar and will serve his one-match touchline-ban at Ashdod on Sunday, kept his place in goal. With Ali Camara still recovering from the rib injury he suffered during the last Europa League 2-0 defeat away to Aston Villa, Lazetic named Raz Shlomo and Heitor dos Santos as the two central defenders. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completed Maccabi’s defensive line aiming to contain the French side.
Ben Lederman was named in the anchorman role with Ido Shahar partnering him in the midfield engine room. Dor Peretz led the team out with the captain’s armband in a more attacking role at the top of the midfield trio. The 30-year-old skipper making his 84th appearance in European competitions for Maccabi equaled the appearance record of Sheran Yeini.
Osher Davida and Helio Varela supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation with Saied Abu Farchi who scored in this stadium against Dinamo Zagreb, leading the attack. On the bench Lazetic named goalkeepers Yoav Gerafi and Ofek Melika as well as Kervin Andrade, Sagiv Jehezkel, Kristijan Belic, Elad Madmon, Noam Ben Harosh, Issouf Sissokho, Itamar Noy, Itai Ben Hemo, Ilai Ben Simon and Ion Nicolaescu.
First Half:
Maccabi couldn’t have wished for a worse start as they suffered an early blow with Lyon taking the lead inside the opening five minutes. Corentine Toliso broke into the box from the right and fired a shot across goal which was initially saved by Roi Mishpati before the ball reached Abner Vinicius who tapped into the net from point blank range. Maccabi got themselves into the game as Dor Peretz fired a shot which narrowly missed the target in the 13th minute. Martin Satriano rose high above Maccabi’s to head a cross in the 15th minute which sailed wide before a Ben Lederman perfectly timed tackle managed to prevent a Lyon player from breaking into the box and facing Mishpati. Mathys De Carvalho blasted a shot wide on 15 while Tolisso came close to double Lyon’s lead from close range in the 21st minute as the visitors’ qualities were evident for all to see.
In the 25th minute Maccabi’s defense struggled to clear the danger before a Vinicius delicate chip managed to loop over Mishpati allowing Tolisso to flick with his head at the far post and double the score. Osher Davida was booked by Estonian referee Kristo Tohver for a foul on De Carvalho in the 27th minute before Lazetic was forced to make his first change as Helio Varela limped off and replaced by Sagiv Jehezkel.
Three minutes after the half hour Tohver awarded Lyin a penalty as Roy Revivo was judged to have fouled Pavel Sulc. Jehezkel was booked for dissent before Moussa Niakhate stepped up, sent Mishpati the wrong way to give Lyon a 3-0 lead.
In the 40th minute a Maccabi attack saw Ido Shahar slip the ball to Peretz who blasted a shot which sailed high over the crossbar.
Three minutes later Davida burst into the Lyon box and as he cut into the middle trying to get a shot on target, frustratingly saw it blocked by Peretz before it could reach the goal.
Second Half:
Lazetic made one change after the interval adding a fresh pair of legs into the midfield as Itamar Noy replaced Lederman at the restart.
Four minutes later Lyon scored the fourth as Sulc turned provider with a delicate cross which was met by Tolisso’s powerful header that beat Mishpati. Toliso completed his hattrick in the 54th minute as he swept the ball home past Mishpati for Lyon’s fifth. Lazetic made a double change as Noam Ben Harosh replaced Revivo while Ion Nicolaescu came on for Davida.
Two minutes after the hour mark two of Lyon’s substitutes combined for the sixth as Khalis Merah floated a cross to the far post where Adam Karabec chested it down and beat Mishpati with an accurate volley.
Maccabi came close on 64 as Nicolaescu squared to Peretz whose right foot shot beat goalkeeper Remy Descamps but shaved the top of the crossbar. Noy was booked in the 69th minute for a foul on De Carvalho inside the center circle.
Lazetic made his fifth and final change as Peretz was replaced by Kervin Andrade in the 74th minute.
Inside injury time Jehezkel was sent off for two bookable offences to round off a miserable night overall. The full time whistle ended the contest as attention now turns to Sunday’s league match away to Ashdod.
