Maccabi Tel Aviv Captain Eran Zahavi scored the club’s first goal in UEFA Champions League action this campaign on a 75th minute penalty. Though the Yellow-and-Blue came up on the shirt end of a 3:1 scoreline Zahavi and the club looked at the positive improvement the team is showing over the course of the campaign:

“I think we looked good and we did a lot of things well in this game. But we made some mistakes and we paid the price for them. This is the level of play when you face teams like Porto but we were able to keep up with them as best we could. I feel like we are gaining confidence from game to game, we had some very good minutes and we did some very nice things on the pitch. I hope that in the next two games we’ll pick up some points.”

On showing improvement each match:

“We feel that from game to game we’re beginning to control some of the minutes and the course of play. Our players are controlling the ball and they’re gaining experience since for some of the players it’s the first time they are playing in this competition. Right now we are not at Porto’s level and we’re not close to being there. The goal of the club is to continue to improve and advance so we can play in this type of tournament every year. Over the years to come you’ll be able to see a marked improvement in our play.”

Getting a positive result against Chelsea:

“I really hope so because that is one of ours goals and we’d like to gain some points. I can’t guarantee anything because Chelsea is a much better team than us but nonetheless I still believe that we can do it.

Scoring Maccabi’s first Champions League goal in 11 years:

“Everyone really waited a long time for a goal from Maccabi in Champions League play. But the main thing was to try and win the game. We scored and that also got the monkey off of our backs as we’ve been asked many times when are we finally going to score in the Champions League. I scored but we didn’t pick up any points, so right now the goal was nice but didn’t mean anything. We’ll have to keep improving.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv central defender Eitan Tibi moved over to play right back for the club against FC Porto in Champions League play at home. Tibi summed up the match and was cautiously optimistic going into the final two Matchdays in European competition:

“We’re disappointed but we still had our best game so far in the Champions League, however, we still lost. We did score a goal so that was good and I hope in the next game we’ll be able to continue to advance in our play”

The club’s play has continued to improve:

“I agree that we’ve improved and taken positive step forward. But it’s still not enough and we have to take our game to the next level and come away with either a draw or a win in the remaining matches.”

Both sides had opportunities to score:

“They were able to score on the chances that they had. We have to concentrate more and be more organized to stop those types of goals. When we have our opportunities we have to find a way to finish them.”

Matchday Five will feature Chelsea visiting Israel:

“We don’t have an easy game against Chelsea coming up but I really hope this will be our first win in Champions League play.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv fell to Porto 3:1 on Matchday Four of the UEFA Champions League at Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa as the club continues its European journey in switch of its first points. Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic summed up the loss, spoke about the matches ahead and discussed the Yellow-and-Blue ‘keeper Rajkovic:

“Porto showed a difference in our box and sometimes in the midfield and they also won challenges as well. We are working hard and the first two chances when they scored were not great and they missed a few opportunities but they showed their qualities. The team followed my instructions for the match but it wasn’t good enough to take points today.”

About the remaining games:

“When I saw our group I believed we could take 18 points. This is my profession and I try to keep improving both myself and my team. It’s a long season ahead of us as we still have two important games in the Champions League that will be a big test for us. We will have two matches before the Chelsea game and we will do everything to try and win the game.”

On the amount of kilometers the players ran:

“It doesn’t matter how many kilometers you run but how much quality you have. Statistics don’t show everything. My team is doing what they can do at this point in time and we will keep trying to improve.”

About Serbian youngster Predrag Rajkovic

“Rajkovic perhaps could have been in better position for the first goal. He has a bright future and it’s an opportunity for him to keep improving and potentially be one of the best ‘keepers in Europe.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv took on FC Porto on Matchday Four of the UEFA Champions League at Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa as Captain Eran Zahavi would score in the second half on a penalty kick for the Yellow-and-Blue’s only goal in a 3:1 defeat. The goal would mark Maccabi’s first in Champions League play in 11 years and the first against a Portuguese club since Amir Turgeman’s against Boavista back in 2002.

Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic started an offensive minded lineup in front of ‘keeper Predrag Rajkovic in search of their first goal and points of the competition. A back four of Omri Ben Harush, Tal Ben Haim, Carlos Garcia and Eitan Tibi played right behind midfielders Dor Peretz, Gal Alberman and Gili Vermouth. Up front Maccabi featured Avi Rikan, Tal Ben Chaim and Eran Zahavi.

The Yellow-and-Blue started like a house on fire with the attack being led by winger Tal Ben Chaim who garnered a 2nd minute chance in the early going. With Maccabi running on all cylinders offensively, ‘keeper Rajkovic needed to be super sharp on Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar scintillating strike from 20 metres out. Ben Chaim would have a couple of incredible chances in the 15th minute but failed to find the back of the goal.

In the 19th minute Cristian Tello would put the visitors ahead as Porto’s number 11 would cut through the Maccabi defenders on the left side and put the ball behind Rajkovic for the 1:0 lead. With both sides splitting time controlling the middle minutes of the first frame, Aboubakar would have a chance to double his side’s lead but the striker’s close range shot would hit the left post and go out of bounds to keep the score as is after the first 45 minutes of play.

To start the second half Maccabi made two substitutions bringing on Eden Ben Basat and Nikola Mitrovic for Vermouth and Ben Harush but they were made to pay a very high price soon thereafter. Maxi Pereira sent a ball into the Maccabi box where Andre Andre made no mistake heading it right past a helpless Rajkovic to double their lead in the 50th minute to 2:0.

The next ten minutes were all Zahavi as the determined Captain took matters into his own hands with a pair of fantastic chances that Casillas was able to save to keep the clean sheet miraculously intact. An additional opportunity by Zahavi was picked up by Casillas in the 61st minute as Maccabi mounted wave after offensive wave in search of a goal. However, it would be Porto who would score its third goal of the game on a classy Layun goal from a Tello pass that curled right past a diving Rajkovic to increase their lead to 3:0.

Zahavi would keep plugging away and he would be rewarded for his efforts in the 75th minute being fouled in the Porto box by Pereira good for a penalty, and what a penalty kick it would be. Finally, the moment Maccabi supporters have waited 11 years for, the chance for a Champions League goal!

The Captain would step to the spot and make no mistake putting a perfect penalty kick behind Casillas and send the crowd into pandemonium! The joy on Zahavi’s face after the strike was priceless getting the proverbial monkey off of the Yellow-and-Blue backs while cutting the visitors lead to 3:1. But that would be all she wrote for Matchday Four as the referee blew the whistle after 90 minutes sending Maccabi home with a bitter sweet feeling, having scored a goal but still in search of their first points.