A day after completing his transfer from Red Star Belgrade, Nemanja Stojic held his first practice session at the PenguinPickUp training complex. The Serbian central defender met his new teammates who were preparing for the return leg in Serbia against the club he played until this summer.

Maccabi and Stojic are set to take off to Serbia later today ahead of Thursday’s return leg as Zarko Lazetic’s side is carrying a 3-0 lead from last week’s match in Hungary.

For Lazetic, Stojic and the Maccabi players this match is set to be a return to a familiar surroundings. Lazetic and Stojic coached and played for TSC respectively, while Maccabi hosted its Conference League home matches at the stadium in Backa Topola.

Nemanja Stojic joined Maccabi from Red Star Belgrade after an agreement was reached between the two clubs for the transfer of the Serbian international who signed a three-year deal with an option to extend by a further season.

The 26-year-old central defender (190cm) represented his country’s national team twice and was included in Serbia’s squad for the Euro Finals

Shortly after successfully completing his medical and signing his contract, Stojic, who will wear the number 18 jersey at Maccabi told the official website: “Maccabi is a club with a rich history I heard about from a young age as the biggest in Israel. I am very happy to be here and join Maccabi and work again under Zarko Lazetic and his staff who were so influential in my career. I hope to help Maccabi win as many domestic titles as possible and do well in Europe. Can’t wait to start.”

Stojic made his first footballing footsteps at the youth academies of Begrade clubs Partizan and Vozdovac before switching to Red Star. He had loan spells with Graficar Belgrade (twice) and Zlatibor Cajetina and moved in 2021 to Metalac Gornij Milanova. The following season Stojic joined TSC Backa Topola where he played under Zarko Lazetic scoring 8 goals in 95 appearances.

Stojic’s performances for TSC led to him being named in Serbia’s SuperLiga team of the 2023/24 season and earned him a call up to the national team followed by a summer move to Red Star.

 

Elad Madmon made a second half substitute appearance at the Haladas stadium in Szombathely Hungary and celebrated his European debut with a goal. The 20-year-old forward who joined Maccabi in the summer from Hapoel Hadera scored Maccabi’s third goal to increase the chances of reaching the Europa League group stages ahead of next week’s return leg away to Backa Topola. “I am delighted to score especially as this is for the biggest club in Israel” Madmon said minutes after scoring his debut goal in Yellow and Blue. “I hope to continue scoring in the league and in other competitions as well and if if I don’t – that we would continue playing well and enjoy ourselves.”

“A debut goal in a European match, there are no words to describe the feelings” he added: “I hope to continue this way, work hard and give everything to prove that I deserve to be on the pitch.”

On the first match of a two-legged tie which could end with a place in the Europa League group stage, Madmon added: “We played really well and hope that in the next match we will not take out foot off the pedal and continue scoring.”

On his move from Hadera to Maccabi: “I took a massive leap and I am delighted to arrive at such a massive club. Now I hope that we’d arrive ready for the next match, win it and reach the next stage”.

The 20-year-old who scored his second goal of the campaign to give Maccabi a three-goal-lead ahead of the return leg, said at the end of the match: “It is an important step ahead of next week, but we still have another game to play to complete the job there” Turgeman said, “We started the match well, scored a goal as they received two red cards and I am delighted we scored two more in the second half”.

On what was said in the dressing room at halftime following the two red cards TSC received, Turgeman added: “Our aim was to score as many goals as possible. Against 9 men who are sitting on the edge of the box it is not easy. One has to be patient which is what we were as we scored two more goals.”

On returning to Backa Topola where Maccabi suffered a 6-1 defeat to Olympiacos last season Turgeman reflected: “This memory is still in our minds but we will be a 100% prepared and hope to reach the next stage.”

On rumours linking him to a move abroad: “My head is only at Maccabi Tel Aviv and I am delighted with this victory. We are preparing for next week.”

Preview

Maccabi returned to the Haladas stadium in Szombathely where they saw off FK Panevezys last week for the first leg of the Europa League Playoff against TSC Backa Topola.

With a place in the group stage at stake and against his former club where he spent the past two years, Maccabi’s Head Coach, Zarko Lazetic, who on Sunday guided Maccabi to the Toto Cup Final as well, made some changes to his starting line-up.

Tyrese Asate who served a one match touchline ban in the last match, completed his suspension and return to partner Raz Shlomo at the heart of defense. Sagiv Jehezkel on the right and Ofir Davidzada on the left completed the back-four in front of goalkeeper Roy Mishpati.

Issouf Sissokho who impressed against Bnei Sakhnin on Sunday kept his place in the anchorman role at the expense of Joris van Overeem while Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz completed Maccabi’s midfield trio. Osher Davida who scored his debut goal of the campaign against Sakhnin was named by Lazetic on one wing with Hisham Layous on the opposite flank. Dor Turgeman led Maccabi’s frontline as the young striker will aim to put behind him the late penalty miss at Bloomfield.

On the bench Lazetic named goalkeeper Ofek Melika, Avishay Cohen, Roy Revivo, Idan Nachmias, Eran Zahavi, Dan Biton, Joris van Overeem, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Matan Baltaxa, Ido Shahar and Nor Bitton.

First Half

Maccabi began the match on the front foot dominating the early stages right from the start as an Osher Davida cross from the left in the third minute caused TSC’s defense all sorts of problems before the danger was cleared. Three minutes later Dor Peretz and Gabi Kanichowsky exchanged passes on the edge of the box before Maccabi’s captain on the night pulled the trigger but Veljko Ilic was well positioned to catch the ball. Maccabi continued to press as Dor Turgeman rose high to meet Sagiv Jehezkel’s cross but guided his header wide in the 11th minute.

Supported by a wall of noise created by 60 traveling Serbian fans who made the 6 hour long bus trip from Backa Topola, TSC slowly got themselves in the game. In the 23rd minute Kanichowsky and Peretz combined once again as the diminutive midfielder whipped in a cross which was met by a volley that wasn’t powerful enough to beat the keeper. Four minutes later Maccabi’s pressure on TSC paid off and the deadlock was finally broken. Hisham Layous tormented the TSC defenders down the left before squaring for Kanichoesky whose initial shot was blocked and fell to Peretz who was also denied by a defender. Turgeman latched on the loose ball and rifled in the rebound to put Maccabi in front with his second goal of the campaign.

In the 40th minute Maccabi charged forward for a counter attack through Sagiv Jehezkel before Peretz released Turgeman through. But the young forward was brought down by Mateja Đorđević as Austrian referee Sebastian Gishamer needed the intervention of VAR to send off the Serbian defender.TSC were reduced to 10 men but as the fourth official signaled two minutes of added time, Mihajlo Banjac flung himself and threatened to slice Issouf Sissokho into two. Gishamer booked the defender but was called to the screen and changed his initial decision to a red card leaving TSC with 9 players for the remainder of the game.

Second Half

With a two man numerical disadvantage TSC slowed the game in the second half as Maccabi tried to find an opening and increase their lead. Sissokho went into the referee’s book for a professional foul on Aleksa Pejic. Right on the hour mark Zarko Lazetic made a triple change as he replaced Ofir Davidzada with Roy Revivo at left back. Dan Biton replaced Layous and Osher Davida was replaced by Eran Zahavi.

With Zahavi lining up alongside Turgeman upfront the impact was almost instant as Maccabi doubled their lead three minutes later. Biton floated a cross which was headed by Turgeman across the face of goal before Peretz sent his header that Ilic couldn’t keep out as it went in off crossbar to make it 2-0.

Roy Mishpati who was hardly challenged until that stage came to the rescue almost right after the restart as he charged off his line to block Sasa Jovanovic. Lazetic made his fourth substitution on 74 as he introduced Elad Madmon for Sissokho allowing the 20-year-old forward make his European debut for Maccabi.

Eight minutes later Biton played a key role in Maccabi’s third as he floated a pinpoint diagonal cross allowing Madmon tp flick home from close range and celebrate his debut Maccabi goal. Turgeman bowed out to a round of applauds by the small number of Maccabi fans present as he was replaced by Ido Shahar for the final six minutes of regular time.

Since the Europa League was introduced in the 2009/10 season the Playoff round was defined as the final encounter before the group stages (Champions League, Europa League and Conference League). Of the 16 seasons this stage is being played, Maccabi will make its’ 13^th appearance – the most of the 7 Israeli clubs that reached a Playoff in the various European competitions.

Maccabi advanced from the Playoff and into the group stages on seven attempts, four of which in the Europa League, once in the Champions League and twice in the Conference League.

Twenty-one players scored for Maccabi in the Playoff stage with Eran Zahavi leading the goal charts with 7 goals to his name.

Sheran Yeini made the most appearances for Maccabi at this stage playing in 15 Playoff matches. Yeini, who retired at the end of the 2023/24 season featured more than any of the 96 players who represented the club in the Playoff.

Throughout Maccabi only faced one Serbian opponent in their European history – Radnicki Nis in the 2018/19 Europa League 2^nd qualifying round.

A brace from Vidar Kjartansson helped Maccabi to a 2-0 victory in Netanya while Eliran Atar and an own goal saw Maccabi salvage a 2-2 in Serbia.

Overall 11 encounters between Israeli and Serbian clubs took place with a total balance of: 5 victories for the Israeli clubs, 3 draws and 3 defeats with a combined goal tally of 19-14.