Maccabi cruise past Coloma in Champions League
Maccabi Tel Aviv booked their place into the third qualifying round of the Champions League after wrapping up a 3-0 aggregate win over Andorran side Santa Coloma.
Hosting the second leg in Larnaca, Cyprus, due to the current crisis in Israel, the Israelis came into the game on the back of a 1-0 first leg win in Andorra last week.
Eran Zahavi’s 62nd minute penalty all but sealed the tie, the players celebrating the goal with an Israel flag. The game was to end ten aside, Maccabi’s Barak Badash sent off for throwing a punch towards a Santa Coloma player, before Mercadé also saw red after picking up his second yellow card. Tal Ben-Haim completed the scoring in the 90th minute.
Speaking after the match, Maccabi coach Oscar Garcia said: “It’s difficult to play well at this stage of the season. It’s difficult to play against a team with 11 players behind the ball. It is even more difficult if you don’t score the chances you have. Maccabi has only played once in the Champions League group stage and it will be a big achievement for us to reach it again. We need to go game by game and be ready for the next game.”
They will face either Slovenian side NK Maribor or Bosnian outfit HSK Zrinjski, who complete their tie on Wednesday night.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
