Mission Accomplished: An Unforgettable Evening for Israeli Football in Europe
Three Israeli clubs—Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Beitar Jerusalem—successfully advanced in European competitions tonight, joining Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the next qualifying rounds.
A dream European evening for Israeli football: three representatives continued their journey in European competitions tonight (Thursday) and joined Hapoel Be'er Sheva, which had already secured its place in the next round of the Champions League qualifiers.
Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Beitar Jerusalem completed the mission and advanced to the next round of the Europa League and Conference League qualifiers.
Maccabi Tel Aviv continues to impress
After the big win in the first leg, Maccabi Tel Aviv finished the job in the return leg against Sheriff Tiraspol with a 1:0 victory, giving them a 6:0 aggregate win and a ticket to the next round of the Europa League qualifiers.
The winning goal came in the 29th minute, when a free kick crossed by Roy Revivo ended in an own goal by Samba Kone, who sent the ball into his own team's net.
The 'Yellows' continue a perfect start to the season, following their victory in the Champion of Champions (Super Cup) and two convincing wins over Sheriff, remaining undefeated in all competitions.
Hapoel Tel Aviv continues to dream
Hapoel Tel Aviv also maintained its European momentum and secured its place in the next round of the Conference League qualifiers, following a 2:2 draw away against Ludogorets and a 4:2 aggregate win.
The 'Reds' took the lead as early as the 16th minute, when Emmanuel Boateng finished an excellent team move after an assist from Omri Altman. Later, Asaf Tzur saved a penalty kick, but the hosts managed to turn the result around with two quick goals.
In the 74th minute, the moment that changed the picture arrived. A mistake in the Ludogorets defense allowed Boateng to complete a personal brace and make it 2:2, a result that was enough to send Hapoel Tel Aviv to the next round and continue its impressive European campaign.
Beitar Jerusalem survived a huge drama
The biggest drama of the evening came from Beitar Jerusalem, which needed 120 minutes and a penalty shootout to get past AEK Larnaca and advance to the third round of the Conference League qualifiers.
The Cypriots took the lead in the first half, but Omer Atzili equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime. In the second half, Beitar found itself trailing again, but Atzili brought them back into the game with a magnificent goal from outside the box in the final minutes.
Just when it seemed the game was heading to a conclusion, a dramatic goal by Larnaca in stoppage time made it 2:3 for the Cypriots and sent the tie to extra time with a 3:3 aggregate score after a major mistake by goalkeeper Miguel Silva.
After 120 minutes without a winner with the scoreboard showing 3:3 on aggregate, the game was decided from the penalty spot. Goalkeeper Miguel Silva, who despite a difficult evening excelled at the moment of truth, saved 2 penalty kicks from the Cypriots and led Beitar to a 4:3 victory in the shootout and a ticket to the next round.
In the next round, Beitar Jerusalem will meet Austria Vienna. The first leg will be held on August 6, while the return leg will take place a week later in Austria.
