The 24-year-old midfielder successfully converted a second half penalty to score his 10th goal in all competitions this season before adding another assist to take his tally to 3 this season. At the end of the match, Shahar faced the media and said: “”When you score an early goal, it opens up the game and gives confidence.”
The victory which ended a run of winless matches booked Maccabi’s place in the Round of 16, as Shahar admitted: “It’s been a long time since we had such a big win with a wide margin, and it was very important. Of course, we want and need to look like this in every match and do everything to make it happen. It’s not been an easy period for us, we needed this, and the way we played mattered too. I also want to say to all the fans who came here, we really appreciate them showing up in the winter weather and with no roof over the stands.”
On Helio Varela’s early goal that set the tone and made what seemed like a tough tie against a top-flight club much easier, Shahar added: “I think in many matches this season we started well but couldn’t manage to score. When you score an early goal, it opens up the game and gives you confidence.”
Shahar who maintained his 100% success rate from the penalty spot, said: “Elad (Madmon) wanted to take it, and so did I. He was also the one who drew the foul. The coach decided that I would take it, so I did. Elad Madmon is an excellent penalty taker, and I really like him.”
On Maccabi’s recent run of form, Shahar shared: “It hasn’t been an easy time, with all the talk around us. We, the players, the only thing we can and should do is play football and win matches — to please the fans. That’s our job. Everything beyond that is not up to us, and we don’t want to get into it.”
With regards to Maccabi’s busy schedule which will see the side return to league action at Bloomfield on Tuesday, Shahar added: “We’re used to this schedule, playing every 3–4 days. We’ll come fully prepared. We know Tiberias, they’re a tough team, they beat Be’ersheva in the last round. We’ll come to win at home. As for Europe, we want to be in these kinds of competitions every year, it’s every player’s dream. That’s why we win championships and trophies. In the last two years, we’re the only Israeli team still playing in Europe.”
“We had an excellent defensive performance today. Even during the rough patches, I’m sure everyone takes personal responsibility, for better or worse. Everyone does everything they can not to make mistakes. As a team, we’re very united and supportive of each other. I’m sure that will continue.”
Shahar also spoke about his close friend Osher Davida, who scored a brace: “I’m happy for Osher, he’s a very good friend of mine. I’m glad I got to assist him today. He’s had games this season where he played well but didn’t manage to score. I hope this brace opens the floodgates for him. I’m sure he’ll keep scoring, assisting, and being a major factor here.”
In conclusion, he spoke about the internal competition within the squad: “At Maccabi, there’s always competition for spots. I think it’s good for the team. As long as I’m on the pitch, I’ll do everything to help the team, the club, and the fans.”
