Hapoel Tel Aviv Holds Atalanta to 0-0 Draw in Italy
Hapoel Tel Aviv walked out of Italy with no goals, but plenty of belief.
In a tight, tactical UEFA Conference League Playoff Round first leg, the Reds held Atalanta to a 0-0 draw, frustrating the Italian side and keeping their own group-stage dream very much alive ahead of next week’s return fixture in Miskolc, Hungary.
Hapoel dig in and deny Atalanta
Backed by around 1,500 travelling supporters, Hapoel started with intent. They pressed high, tried to force mistakes, and looked to turn any Atalanta error into a quick strike.
Roie Alkukin whipped an early cross into the box, but it drifted away from its intended target. Omri Altman’s corner soon after was dealt with by the Italian defense. Half chances, nothing more, but enough to show Hapoel weren’t there just to survive.
Both teams then settled into a cagey rhythm. Space was scarce, risk was minimal, and every attacking move felt like it needed three passes too many to open up a shot. The goalkeepers were alert when called upon, but clear-cut opportunities were rare as the game crept to halftime goalless.
The pattern barely changed after the break. Neither side wanted to blink first. Hapoel coach Elyaniv Barda tried to tilt the contest by turning to his bench, introducing Xander Silva and Mor Buskila to inject pace and freshness, hoping to stretch Atalanta and finally crack them open.
Instead, the biggest drama came at the other end, and late.
Deep into second-half stoppage time, Atalanta finally found a seam. Ederson twice wound up with the tie on his right boot, twice looked certain to win it. Twice Assaf Tzur stood in his way. The Hapoel goalkeeper produced a pair of crucial saves as the clock bled out, preserving the stalemate and sending the tie to Hungary finely balanced.
After the final whistle, Barda’s satisfaction was clear.
“We can congratulate the guys on a very good performance. We stuck to our principles and played our football against a great team, so the players deserve congratulations,” he said. “Having said that, it ended 0–0, and we have a second leg in which we’ll want to reproduce this performance. In the end, we stood firm and insisted on doing what we had worked on. There is still room for improvement, but the better chances were ours.”
On the opposite bench, Maurizio Sarri acknowledged the struggle.
“I expected a difficult game. They were superior to us physically. We lack fluency in our play; every time we receive the ball, we think, and that slows us down,” he admitted. “Nevertheless, there are also positive aspects: in our last three games, we haven’t conceded a goal.”
Hapoel now take that clean sheet and a growing sense of resilience to their “home-away-from-home” in Miskolc, knowing one decisive moment could send them into the Conference League group stage.
Maccabi punished in Lugano but tie still alive
While Hapoel battled their way to a precious draw, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s night in Switzerland carried a sharper sting.
Kenny Miller’s side fell 2-1 to Lugano, undone by a poor clearance, a soft penalty concession and a missed chance to turn second-half dominance into a better result. Kevin Behrens and Anto Grgic scored for the hosts, with Ido Shahar finding the net for Maccabi.
The damage began on the half-hour mark. A miscued clearance from goalkeeper Ofek Meilika handed Lugano the initiative and invited pressure. The Swiss side pounced, worked the ball into the danger area, and Behrens rose to nod it home for 1-0 in the 30th minute.
Maccabi needed a response and produced one straight after the interval.
Just two minutes into the second half, Roy Revivo delivered a superb cross from the left. Shahar timed his run, met it cleanly and slotted in the equalizer for 1-1 in the 47th minute. On his 25th birthday, he had his moment.
The momentum seemed to tilt. Maccabi finally found rhythm, pushed higher, and began to ask questions of Lugano’s back line.
Then came the lapse that flipped the night back.
Tyrese Asante clipped Yanis Cimignani in the area, the referee pointed to the spot, and Grgic stepped up. His finish was calm, his penalty decisive, restoring Lugano’s lead at 2-1 and punishing Maccabi’s defensive mistake.
Maccabi still had their chances to repair the damage. Shahar threatened again, Dor Peretz got sights of goal, Revivo surged forward with intent. The pressure rose, but the equalizer never arrived. Lugano held firm and carried a one-goal cushion into next week’s return leg.
Miller, though, drew encouragement from what he saw after the break.
“It was a good game. I’m coming away with very positive feelings about our performance in the second half. I have no doubt that we can get the win next week,” he said. “The Lugano players were very aggressive in the first half. They pressed us and made it difficult for us to settle and find our rhythm. The second half was completely different. We created several promising attacks, found a much better rhythm and had a lot of possession.”
Shahar, scorer and birthday boy, cut a more conflicted figure.
“Honestly, I would have been much happier if we had won and received the perfect birthday present,” he said. “I’m happy about the goal, but unfortunately we lost in the end. Nevertheless, we fully believe that with the support of the fans next week in Batumi, we will get the job done.”
Maccabi now head to Batumi, their own temporary home, needing at least a one-goal win to stay alive in Europe. Hapoel return to Miskolc with everything level and a giant within reach.
Two Tel Aviv clubs, two finely poised ties, and one decisive week that will define their continental season.
