Survived a thriller: Hapoel Tel Aviv finished the job against Katowice and advanced to the playoffs
The Reds arrived in Poland with a 2-0 lead from the first leg, took the lead through a Stav Turiel goal and were on the safe path to the next stage, but conceded twice in the final minutes and lost 2-1. This did not prevent Eliniv Barda's team from completing a 3-2 aggregate win and advancing to the Conference League playoffs, where the great Atalanta awaits. New signing Owusu sat on the bench and did not play.
Hapoel Tel Aviv took another step tonight, Wednesday, on the way to returning to the European stage. It ended in a 2-1 loss to Katowice in Poland, but the 2-0 lead from the first leg was enough for the Reds to complete a 3-2 aggregate win over the two meetings and advance to the Conference League playoffs – the final stage before the league phase.
For most of the evening, it seemed that Hapoel was on its way to another victory, but two late goals by the hosts turned the result around and caused some pressure until the final whistle. The Reds arrived at the return leg with a significant advantage, but were not satisfied with it and did not sit back from the start. In the 23rd minute, they also got the goal they were looking for. Stav Turiel, who also scored in the first leg, found the net again and put Hapoel up 1-0 – and at that moment, a very promising 3-0 on aggregate. From there, Eliniv Barda's team managed to control the situation for long minutes and did not allow the Poles to generate significant momentum.
Towards the end, the picture changed. In the 83rd minute, Katowice managed to equalize: Ilya Shkurin received a cross, snuck between Chico and Mayambo, and from close range made it 1-1. The hosts continued to look for another goal, and in stoppage time received an opportunity to complete the turnaround after Fernand Mayambo caused a penalty. Arkadiusz Jedrych stepped up to the white spot, scored, and made it 2-1 for Katowice.
Despite the less-than-ideal final minutes, Hapoel had enough of a safety margin from the first leg to maintain the aggregate lead and celebrate the ticket to the next stage.
Barda can come out of the two matches with quite a few positive points, even if the finish in Poland left a slightly sour taste. For large parts of both meetings, Hapoel looked organized and confident, and in particular proved that it is capable of creating chances and scoring goals even away from home. One who did not take part in the game is Douglas Owusu, the Reds' new signing, who was included in the squad for the first time and sat on the bench, but Barda chose not to play him.
Now Hapoel is just one double-header away from returning to the main stage of a European competition. For a club that only recently returned to the Premier League, the very act of reaching the playoffs is a nice achievement. The last time Hapoel Tel Aviv played in a European group stage was in the 2012/13 season. 14 years later, it is again just one stage away from the European stage. In the playoffs, Hapoel will face a much higher hurdle in the form of Atalanta, which finished last season in seventh place in Serie A and reached the Champions League round of 16 and the Italian Cup semi-finals. The team from Bergamo, which won the Europa League two years ago, will enter the competition in the playoff stage. Atalanta is currently coached by Maurizio Sarri, and it arrives at the matchup as a clear favorite. The first leg will be held on August 20, and the return leg a week later, on August 27.
