PSV will play against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the intermediate round of the Conference League tonight. On paper, the Israeli club should not cause any problems for the people of Eindhoven. Whoever looks at the roster and the current season of the Israelis is not exactly scared.
After a false start, Maccabi Tel Aviv is on the rise again in the competition. Last weekend they won 3-2 at direct competitor Hapoel Tel Aviv. Yet the club is still in a meager third place, eight points behind leader Maccabi Haifa.
strong series
Maccabi Tel Aviv has not lost eight games in a row. Once there was a draw, the other seven games were all won (whether or not after 120 minutes).
The club is still active in the cup. Maccabi is defending champion and they are currently in the semi-finals. In any case, the Israelis want to take one prize to make it a successful season.
Maccabi Tel Aviv finished second in Group A of the Conference League. That was not a very good performance. The Israeli club had drawn favorably.
LASK Linz convincingly took first place. For Maccabi it was a breeze to take second place. With HJK Helsinki and Alashkert it had two easy opponents who were also easily kept at bay. The Israeli club only lost once in the group.
Breda cult hero
The selection of the Israelis includes three players who have a past in the Eredivisie:
- Brandley Kuwas caused a furore at Heracles from 2016 to 2019,
- Sheran Yeini played two seasons for Vitesse,
- Stipe Perica played 37 games for NAC Breda.
In Breda, the tall striker is mainly known as a cult hero. He often looked clumsy, but his supporters soon embraced the Croat. He scored nine goals and left six months before the club were relegated.
After wandering in Italy, Turkey, Belgium and England, he ended up in Israel last summer. There he is undisputed base player. He scored 10 goals in 29 games. He will also make his appearance at Maccabi tonight.