"It Felt Like a Celebration in Israel": Beitar Jerusalem's Heroes of the European Victory

"If we hadn't advanced, we would have had to be ashamed. Two matches under our complete control, we shouldn't have complicated things like this," is how Beitar Jerusalem players summarized their victory in a penalty shootout (4:3) over AEK Larnaca, following a 3:3 aggregate score. 3,000 fans accompanied the team to Romania, and the club stated afterward: "In the end, it felt like celebrations in Israel. There was a lot of tension in the game; every time we were chasing, we failed to kill it off, but everyone let go at the end."

Beitar was superior in both matches, a badge of honor against a team with a larger budget and reputation. They achieved this without key defender Luka Gadrani, while captain Yarden Shua is still finding his rhythm, Shon Weissman is shaking off rust, and Kalo struggled with turnovers. However, they had Omer Atzili, the "killer" without whom Beitar would not have advanced.

What is amazing about Atzili is that he was injured in the final round of last season and barely trained during the preparation. Yet, he provided more than just two goals; he brought character and personality when the team was trailing. He will need to manage his workload to stay fit for the full season, but as long as he does, he remains a major advantage for Beitar.

Another key player was Daniel Worku, a surprise gem discovered by Almog Cohen. While Boris Eno struggled, Worku provided balance defensively and offensively. For a player stepping up from the National League to the high-pressure environment of top-tier Israeli football, it was an impressive performance.

By advancing, Beitar secured 550,000 euros in income, in addition to the 175,000 euros base participation fee. If they pass Austria Vienna, the amount will rise to 750,000 euros.

The central figure of the night was Miguel Silva, who saved two penalties. After a difficult previous season, these saves effectively saved his career at Beitar. Nana Antwi also deserves mention for his tremendous power on the wing, proving to be a massive upgrade since his arrival last January.

With 3,000 fans behind them, Beitar was superior but conceded goals too easily due to lapses in concentration. Larnaca threatened the goal six times, and three went in. If the players had brought the same character to those defensive moments as they did to the penalties, they would not have reached such a tense finish.