Maccabi will compete with Serbian side TSC Backa Topola for a place in the Europa League group stages. The luck of the draw at UEFA’s Headquarters in Nyon Switzerland teamed Maccabi’s Head Coach Zarko Lazetic and his coaching staff with a return to their former club they all know so well. Now it is your turn to get to know TSC.

Although their European history stretches over four seasons only, TSC Backa Topola managed to gain international experience. Last season under Lazetic, TSC played in te Europa League group stage in a tough group that included West Ham United, Freiburg and Olympiacos Piraeus. While TSC finished bottom of their group. Olympiacos dropped to the Conference League and came back from a 4-1 deficit in Athens to beat Maccabi 6-1 at Backa Topola in the Round of 16 before winning the competition.

Following Lazetic’s departure to Maccabi, TSC appointed Dean Klafurić as his successor. Under the 52-year-old Croat, TSC played five league matches and are currently sixth in the Serbian table after winning two, losing two while one match ended in a draw. Klafurić began his coaching career in 2009 and unlike most of his peers didn’t have a playing career. For a coach who began coaching Croatia’s women team and then worked for three years at Dynamo Zagreb’s Youth Academy he made steady progress as he switched to Slovenia’s Gorica in 2017. The following year he recorded his most notable achievement – winning the Polish League and Cup double with Legia Warsaw (2018). Hrvatski Dragovoljac in Croatia and Greek side Ethnicos Achna were followed by Slaven Belupo, Budapest Honved  in Hungary and Velež Mostar. In the summer TSC appointed Klafurić as the replacement of Lazetic who coached the club since 2021.

In his first season at TSC, Lazetic, steered the club to safety and solidified them in 2022/23 with a runners-up spot. Last season Backa Topola finished the season in third place which guarantees and automatic place in the Europa league Playoff.       

Just like Maccabi had their league match against Hapoel Jerusalem which was scheduled to take place between the two legs postponed, TSC’s league encounter with Red Star Belgrade was also pushed back.

TSC’s two key players last season were their forwards Aleksandar Ćirković (22) who arrived from Russian side Kirila Sovtov and was the top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions. Twenty-one-year-old Miloš Pantović is another key player as the forward is responsible for 12 goals and 9 assists last season.

An interesting name is Marko Lazetic (20), the nephew of Maccabi coach who joined TSC in the summer on loan from Italian giants AC Milan. The youngster began the season in the starting line-up but in the past few matches Petar Stanić leads TSC’s attack.

While Ifet Đakovac who is also TSC’s regular penalty taker marshals the midfield, in defense the recent sale of Nemanja Stojić to Red Star Belgrade left Backa Topola seeking for alternatives to stabilize their defense this season.

Maccabi’s players arrived at the PenguinPickUp training complex in Kiryat Shalom this morning (Tuesday) and held their final practice before departing for Hungary where they host Serbian side TSC Backa Topola (Thursday, 21:00).

After training the team left for Ben Gurion airport before taking off to Budapest where the team will travel to Szombathely.

Maccabi will return to the Haladas stadium where they hosted FK Panevezys in the previous round. This time round they will host the former club of Head Coach Zarko Lazetic that are currently ranked 6th in the table.

Nineteen-year-old Ofek Melika, a third generation of Maccabi goalkeepers, said after the match: “It is amazing, a childhood dream, to follow the footsteps of my grandfather who played here (Shmuel Melika), my uncle who played her (Meir Melika) and my father (Yaron Melika). I was a kid and too young so never had a chance to see them all play but heard all the stories so to experience this myself with these fans was an amazing experience.”

Preview

A month after the Super Cup against Maccabi Petah Tikva and in the middle of a European campaign, Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the Toto Cup Semi Final against Bnei Sakhnin.

Three days after securing a place in the Europa League Playoff with a 5-1 aggregate victory over FK Panevezys and four days before hosting TSC Backa Topola for the first leg in Hungary, Maccabi turned their attention to their domestic campaign.

Zarko Lazetic who will compete with his former club over a two-legged tie for the right to reach the Europa League group stage – would try guide his charges to their first final of the season. Lazetic made 11 changes from the side that won 3-0 at the Haladas stadium last week as Ofek Melika was handed his debut appearance in goal. Tyrese Asante and Matan Baltaxa lined-up in front of the young keeper with Avishay Cohen on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completing Maccabi’s defensive line. Issouf Sissokho who made a second half substitute appearance against Panevezys, was handed his debut start in the anchorman role. Ido Shahar and Dan Biton completed Maccabi’s engine room allowing Joris van Overeem, Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz and much needed rest. While Van Overeem was left out of the squad both Peretz and Kanichowsky were named amongst the substitutes. Elad Madmon who was signed earlier last year but only joined the club recently at the end of Israel’s Olympic campaign, had his first outing in a Maccabi shirt. With Madmon on one wing Henry Addo was named on the opposite flank. Eran Zahavi led the line and the team out wearing the captain’s armband.

On the substitutes bench alongside Peretz and Kanichowsy, Lazetic, named Roy Mishpati, Idan Nachmias, Dor Turgeman, Raz Shlomo, Hisham Layous, Nir Bitton and Osher Davida

First Half

Maccabi began the match on the front foot with Elad Madmon not showing any signs that this is his Maccabi debut. The young forward was adamant to show his presence early on as three minutes from the start he blasted a tried right foot shot that sailed over from the edge of the area. Five minutes later Dan Biton slipped the ball to Madmon who skipped past Itay Ben Hemo to break into the box before forcing Mohamad Abu Nil to make his first save. In the 11th minute Maccabi continued to press Sakhnin inside their own half and were awarded a free kick after Issouf Sissokho was tripped. The combination of Biton and Madmon ended with the ball in the back of the net as the midfielder’s cross was headed in by Madmon at the far post. But Madmon’s celebrations of a debut goal and a dream debut were short lived as VAR intervened and disallowed the goal.

Ido Shahar came close in the 15th minute as the midfielder picked the ball just inside Sakhnin’s half, charged through the middle and rifled a shot that narrowly missed the target. Henry Addo on the opposite left flank cut inside on 26 and pulled his trigger but his effort was blocked by a defender allowing Abu Nil to collect with ease. Three minutes after the half hour mark Eran Zahavi had the ball in the back of the net once again as the veteran forward met Avishay Cohen’s cross with a perfect overhead kick. But once again this goal was disallowed for offside denying Maccabi’s captain one of the early contenders for the goal of the season. Cohen tried his luck with a fierce drive from outside the box but Abu Nil equaled the shot to keep his goal locked.

On the stroke of halftime Sissokho broke into the box before teeing-up Zahavi whose left foot shot was blocked before it could reach the target.

Second Half

With no changes to either side at the interval, Maccabi began the second half just like the first. Biton drilled a left foot shot and Abu Nil who made the initial save was assisted by his defense to clear the danger before Shahar could reach the rebound. A minute after the hour mark Lazetic made a double change as Madmon bowed out to be replaced by Dor Peretz while Osher Davida came on for Biton. A minute later Maccabi came close to break the deadlock as Roy Revivo released Zahavi whose effort missed the target.

Maccabi continued to pile on the pressure as Addo charged in from the left and cut the ball back for Sissokho whose shot was blocked by a Sakhnin defender. Osher Melika who wasn’t required to do much during the game pulled two good saves in the space of five minutes. Melika was alert on 66 to punch away Omer Abuhab dangerous shot from the right on 66. Melika was then required to fully stretch himself to palm out Ahmed Salman’s curling shot from the left. In the 75^th minute, Lazetic made another double change with Matan Baltaxa replaced by Raz Shlomo and Hisham Layous coming on for Addo.

Layous almost made an immediate impact as he fired a shot from the tightest of angles that almost caught Abu Nil by surprise. When it seemed as if the match would be decided by a penalty shoot-out Layous fed Revivo on 83 before he was tripped by a Iad Abu Abid. Referee Orel Greenfeld didn’t hesitate as he awarded a penalty before Zahavi stepped up kept his calm and blasted the spot kick into the top corner to put Maccabi in front. Zahavi came off to a standing ovation with Dor Turgeman introduced for the closing stages. The young striker made an immediate impact as seconds after his introduction Turgeman charged from the halfway line and released Layous. The pacey winger skipped past the advancing Abu Nil but with the goal at his mercy saw his shot rattle the framework.

The fourth official signaled for six 6 minutes of added time as Maccabi charged forward in a bid to double the scored and seal the win. Layous cut the ball back for Turgeman whose initial effort from the center of the area was saved by Abu Nil. Turgeman pounced on the rebound but was pushed in the back by Ben Hemo leaving Grinfield with no other choice but to award Maccabi another penalty and send the Sakhnin defender for an early shower. Turgeman’s weak penalty was saved by Abu Nil but less than a minute later Maccabi celebrated their second goal. Sissokho carved Sakhnin’s defense open to find Turgeman, who’s perfectly weighed pass allowed Davida to find the bottom far corner with a clinical finish. Sakhnin managed to cut the deficit through Abdalla Khlaikhal who headed in past Melika to make it 2-1 and deny the young keeper a perfect night.

Having booked their place in the Toto Cup Final where they face Maccabi Haifa for a repeat of last season’s final, Maccabi can now focus on TSC Backa Topola and their bid to secure a place in the Europa League.