Maccabi beaten by Chelsea in Champions League opener
Maccabi Tel Aviv saw their Champions League campaign get off to a losing start as they were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Maccabi were making their first appearance in the tournament in eleven years, though should have been behind in just the sixth minute when Chelsea were awarded a penalty. Willian was brought down in the box by Maccabi goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, but Eden Hazard blazed the resulting spot kick over the bar.
The Israelis weren’t on level terms for long though as Willan’s in-swinging free-kick on the quarter-hour mark beat everyone in the box – and the diving grasp of Rajkovic – to bounce straight through into the net.
Eran Zahavi, who’s already scored seven times in the qualifying campaign this season, spurned a glorious chance to draw Maccabi level, when he was left unmarked, eight yards out, but failed to hit the target from Nikola Mitrovic’s superb free-kick. But just as it looked like they’d go into half-time trailing 1-0, Chelsea were awarded another penalty four minutes into stoppage time when Tal Ben Haim, on his return to Stamford Bridge, was adjudged to have brought down Diego Costa. Oscar this time stepped up and sent Rajkovic the wrong way to double their advantage.
The visitors fashioned out another chance early in the second half when Avi Rikan saw his shot deflected inches wide, but within minutes the game was made safe for Chelsea when Costa superbly volleyed home Cesc Fabregas’ cross, and there was still time for the latter to claim their fourth when he tapped the ball into an empty net.
Maccabi will hope to bounce back in their next game, when they host Dynamo Kiev in two weeks’ time.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
-
By Brigit Grant
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)