Hapoel Tel Aviv players celebrate after the Reds earned a 2-0 first-leg victory over Katowice in Conference League qualifying.
Hapoel Tel Aviv's 2-0 win over Katowice in the first leg of their Conference League qualifying tie has given the Israeli club a significant boost in their European campaign.
The Reds took the lead in the 18th minute when Omri Altman found Stav Turiel at the top of the box, with the forward finishing past Gabriel Kobylak. Emmanuel Boateng then won possession and set up Roi Alkukin, who chipped the ball over the Katowice goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
The result has left Elyaniv Barda's side in a strong position to advance to the next round, but the manager was cautious in his assessment. "Given how the game developed, the players also felt that we could have won by more," Barda said. "Still, at the end of the day we played a very good game from a professional standpoint. The 2-0 result helps us advance to the next round, but it doesn’t take us there yet."
The win was also a testament to the strong support of Hapoel Tel Aviv's fans, who traveled to Hungary and gave the team a "real home feeling". "Kudos to all the fans who came out here to see us. It’s unbelievable, they gave us a real home feeling and it has an incredible impact on the players," Barda added.
In contrast, Beitar Jerusalem suffered a 2-1 defeat to Austria Wien in the first leg of their Conference League qualifying tie. Noam Muche gave the Israeli club an early lead, but Vasilije Markovic equalized just before halftime and Sanel Saljic scored the winner in the 70th minute.
The result leaves Almog Cohen's side needing a comeback in next week's return leg in Vienna. "It’s very disappointing. We came here to win the game," Cohen said. "Whenever you lose, even though it’s only halftime in the tie and we still have another half to play in Vienna, you’re disappointed."
Maccabi Tel Aviv also suffered a setback, losing 3-0 to CSKA Sofia in the first leg of their Europa League qualifying tie. The Bulgarian club took the lead in the ninth minute and added two more goals before halftime, leaving Kenny Miller's side with a tough task ahead.
The result has left Maccabi Tel Aviv needing a major turnaround to reach the playoff round, where OFI Crete awaits. "This tie is still far from over," Miller said. "But the goal we conceded at the end certainly makes the challenge more difficult."
The Israeli clubs will face their respective opponents in the return legs next week, with Hapoel Tel Aviv looking to seal their place in the Conference League playoff round and Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv seeking to overturn their deficits.
Source: Yahoo Sports