Slovan Bratislava will look to take a step towards UEFA Champions League qualification against Maccabi Haifa. To advance, the Slovakian champions defeated Zrinjski Mostar 3-2 on aggregate. Maccabi overcame a first-leg deficit to defeat Sheriff Tiraspol 5-2 overall.
Preview (Slovan Bratislava vs Maccabi Haifa)
Slovan Bratislava has struggled at home in Champions League qualification thus far. Similar circumstances occurred for Bratislava when they faced Zrinjski of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second round. However, last season they broke new ground by making it to the last 16 of the Europa Conference League. They lost on penalties to Basel. Weiss’s team’s Fortuna Liga title defense hasn’t started off spectacularly. With two points from their first two games against FC Kosice and MFK Dukla Banska Bystrica, they are still in good shape going into Maccabi’s visit.
The visitors to Tehelne Pole, in contrast, have yet to begin their quest for domestic supremacy. They have already added a trophy to their collection this summer by defeating Beitar Jerusalem 3-1 in a Super Cup match. In the first round of Champions League qualifying, the reigning Israeli champions easily defeated the Maltese team Hamrun Spartans, winning 6-1 on the overall score. However, they faced a difficult task in the second leg against Sheriff Tiraspol. They won the first encounter 1-0 in Moldova. Amine Talal’s penalty gave Sheriff a 2-1 overall advantage. A long-range shot from Tjaronn Chery and Mahmoud Jaber forced overtime. Messay Dego’s team kept their best shooting boots in excellent shape.
With Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, and Juventus in their group of death last season, Maccabi finished last. They claimed a famous victory over the Old Lady. As far as 4-1 victories go, Maccabi’s was undoubtedly one of the more difficult ones, but their reward could still be another appearance in the Champions League proper. Maccabi Haifa hasn’t been eliminated in the third qualifying round since Liverpool defeated them in the 2006–07 season, but the Israeli champions haven’t faced a spirited Bratislava team before.
Team News
Bratislava captain Weiss, the son, and namesake of his manager, will have to watch the first leg from the sidelines as he serves a one-game suspension after receiving a caution for the third time in Champions League qualifying the previous time around. It will be difficult for the host manager to replace the former Manchester City player. Malik Abubakari, who scored his team’s second goal in their recent league tie with Banska Bystrica, may be able to step up. Aleksandar Cavric, a fellow attacker, has recovered from a late injury suffered against Zrinjski, and Cesar Blackman, a right back, overcame shoulder trouble to play the entire 90 minutes over the weekend.
The opposition’s 20-year-old midfielder Basam Zaarura is now serving a hefty 15-match ban from all competitions for rioting during a match against Hapoel Be’er Sheva back in May. Sun Menahem, the left back, may also need to sit this one out due to concussion protocol. Dego anticipates working with the same team from their four-goal demolition of Sheriff. After coming off the bench last time to great effect, the attacking combination of David and Shuranov will undoubtedly be considered for starting by Dego, and Chery will undoubtedly continue to play a key role in midfield.
Weiss is possibly an indispensable member of the Bratislava assault. Other domestic weaknesses should be taken advantage of by their Israeli opponents. Maccabi did not always play well during their second-round match with Sheriff. Dego’s team should return to their headquarters this week with the upper hand after the first leg.
Slovan Bratislava 0 – 1 Maccabi Haifa
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