Hapoel Tel Aviv Holds Atalanta to Draw in UEFA Playoff
Hapoel Tel Aviv walked off with a goalless draw against Atalanta that felt like far more than a 0-0. It felt like a statement.
In the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Playoff Round tie, the Israelis – backed by 1,500 travelling supporters – frustrated the Italian side and kept their own group-stage dream very much alive. The return leg in Miskolc, Hungary, next Thursday will now decide who reaches the League phase.
Hapoel’s high press, Atalanta’s deadlock
From the opening whistle, Hapoel refused to play the underdog. The Reds pushed high, hunted in packs and tried to force mistakes deep in Atalanta territory. Roie Alkukin whipped an early cross into the box, but it drifted away from its intended target. Omri Altman then saw a corner cleared as both teams probed without landing a decisive blow.
Chances were scarce. That suited Hapoel just fine.
Both sides spent long stretches trying to unlock each other’s defensive shape, but the game slid into halftime still scoreless, the Italians short of rhythm and the Israelis right where they wanted to be.
The pattern barely shifted after the break. Neither team wanted to be the one to blink first, and caution crept into every decision. Hapoel coach Elyaniv Barda tried to inject some life into the contest with a double change, introducing Xander Silva and Mor Buskila to stretch the pitch and ask new questions of the Atalanta back line.
The match, though, remained tight, tense and littered with tentative touches.
Then, right at the death, Atalanta finally broke through. Or so they thought.
Tzur’s late heroics
Deep into second-half stoppage time, Ederson twice found himself in position to win it. Twice he pulled the trigger. Twice Assaf Tzur stood in his way, producing a pair of crucial saves that preserved the stalemate and sent the tie to Hapoel’s “home-away-from-home” in Miskolc on a knife edge.
Afterward, Barda could hardly hide his satisfaction with the display.
“We can congratulate the guys on a very good performance. We stuck to our principles and played our football against a great team, so the players deserve congratulations,” he said. “Having said that, it ended 0–0, and we have a second leg in which we’ll want to reproduce this performance. In the end, we stood firm and insisted on doing what we had worked on. There is still room for improvement, but the better chances were ours.”
On the opposite bench, Maurizio Sarri acknowledged the battle his side had been dragged into.
“I expected a difficult game. They were superior to us physically. We lack fluency in our play; every time we receive the ball, we think, and that slows us down,” he admitted. “Nevertheless, there are also positive aspects: in our last three games, we haven’t conceded a goal.”
Hapoel now carry belief and a clean sheet into Hungary. Atalanta carry the weight of expectation.
Maccabi punished in Lugano
While Hapoel left Italy encouraged, Maccabi Tel Aviv departed Switzerland with work to do.
Kenny Miller’s side fell 2-1 to Lugano in the first leg of their own Conference League Playoff, undone by a costly goalkeeping error and a penalty. Kevin Behrens and Anto Grgic struck for the hosts, with Ido Shahar providing Maccabi’s lone reply. The second leg will be staged in Batumi, Georgia, Maccabi’s temporary base until European games return to Israel.
Lugano seized control on the half-hour mark. A poor clearance from ’keeper Ofek Meilika invited pressure, and the Swiss club pounced. The ball was recycled into the danger area and Behrens rose to nod it home for 1-0 in the 30th minute, a simple finish born from a self-inflicted wound.
Maccabi needed a reaction after the break. They delivered one almost immediately.
Just two minutes into the second half, Roy Revivo bent in a superb cross and found Shahar, who timed his run perfectly and slotted in the equalizer in the 47th minute. At 1-1, the momentum looked to be turning.
It didn’t last.
Penalty swing and missed chances
Tyrese Asante’s foul on Yanis Cimignani inside the area handed Lugano a golden chance to retake the lead. Grgic stepped up, stayed calm and rolled in the penalty for 2-1, restoring the hosts’ advantage and punishing Maccabi’s lapse.
Maccabi still carved out opportunities to level the tie. Shahar, Dor Peretz and Revivo all found themselves in promising positions as Miller’s team pushed forward, but each chance went begging. Lugano held firm and will carry a one-goal edge into Batumi.
Miller, though, chose to focus on the response after halftime.
“It was a good game. I’m coming away with very positive feelings about our performance in the second half. I have no doubt that we can get the win next week,” he said. “The Lugano players were very aggressive in the first half. They pressed us and made it difficult for us to settle and find our rhythm. The second half was completely different. We created several promising attacks, found a much better rhythm and had a lot of possession.”
For Shahar, who scored on his 25th birthday, the night carried a bittersweet edge.
“Honestly, I would have been much happier if we had won and received the perfect birthday present,” he said. “I’m happy about the goal, but unfortunately we lost in the end. Nevertheless, we fully believe that with the support of the fans next week in Batumi, we will get the job done.”
So Hapoel return from Italy with a result to protect, Maccabi come back from Switzerland with a deficit to chase, and both Israeli clubs head into decisive second legs knowing exactly what’s at stake: a place at Europe’s table, or a season wondering what might have been.
