Hapoel Tel Aviv Holds Atalanta to Goalless Draw in UEFA Clash
Hapoel Tel Aviv walked out of Italy with no goals, no away advantage – and absolutely no fear.
A goalless draw against Atalanta in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Playoff Round clash keeps the tie wide open, and for Elyaniv Barda’s side, it felt like a statement as much as a result. On a weekend when Maccabi Tel Aviv were edged 2-1 by Lugano, Hapoel’s resilience kept Israeli hopes on two fronts alive.
Hapoel frustrate Atalanta in tight first leg
Backed by around 1,500 travelling fans, Hapoel started bravely. The Reds pressed high from the opening whistle, trying to force errors and pounce on any loose touch from the Italian side.
Roie Alkukin whipped an early cross into the Atalanta box that flashed past its intended target. Omri Altman then swung in a corner that was dealt with by the defense. Half-chances, nothing more, but they underlined Hapoel’s intent: they were not in Italy to park the bus and pray.
The pattern soon settled. Both sides probed, both struggled. Space was rare, risk even rarer. With neither attack able to consistently break the lines, the first half crawled towards the interval with the score still 0-0 and chances at a premium.
The caution continued after the break. Neither team wanted to be the first to blink.
Barda rolled the dice with a double change, introducing Xander Silva and Mor Buskila to inject pace and freshness, hoping to stretch a game that had grown increasingly cagey. The substitutions nudged Hapoel higher up the pitch, but the real drama was saved for stoppage time.
As legs tired and concentration wavered, Atalanta finally carved Hapoel open. Twice.
Ederson found room for back-to-back efforts in second-half injury time, both of them dangerous, both of them destined for the net until Assaf Tzur intervened. The Hapoel goalkeeper stood tall, parried, and then saved again as the clock bled out. Those two late stops preserved the clean sheet and ensured the tie will be decided next Thursday in Miskolc, Hungary – Hapoel’s home-away-from-home for this campaign, with a place in the Conference League league stage on the line.
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 contest had gone largely as he anticipated.
“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.”
The stalemate leaves everything in the balance. One moment in Hungary will decide whether Hapoel’s stubborn night in Italy becomes the foundation of a European breakthrough or just a missed opportunity.
Maccabi punished in Lugano after costly errors
While Hapoel left Italy encouraged, Maccabi Tel Aviv departed Switzerland with work to do.
Kenny Miller’s side slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Lugano in their first leg, undone by a poor clearance, a rash foul and a clinical penalty. Kevin Behrens and Anto Grgic struck for the hosts, with Ido Shahar briefly dragging Maccabi level. The return leg will be staged in Batumi, Georgia, where Maccabi are currently hosting their European home matches.
Lugano seized control just past the half-hour mark. A mishit clearance from goalkeeper Ofek Meilika handed the Swiss side an inviting platform to attack. They accepted. The ball was recycled and swung into the danger area, and Behrens met it with a firm header, guiding it into the net for 1-0 in the 30th minute.
Maccabi needed a response after a disjointed first half. They found one almost immediately after the restart.
In the 47th minute, Roy Revivo delivered a superb cross from the left, picking out Shahar’s run. The midfielder timed it perfectly, arrived in stride and calmly slotted home to level the score at 1-1. On his 25th birthday, it was the ideal personal moment, and for a few minutes it looked like a turning point in the tie.
The momentum didn’t last.
Tyrese Asante’s foul on Yanis Cimignani inside the area handed Lugano a penalty and the chance to wrestle back control. Grgic stepped up, sent Meilika the wrong way, and restored the hosts’ lead at 2-1. From there, Maccabi chased.
Shahar, Dor Peretz and Revivo all found themselves in promising positions as Miller’s men pushed hard for another equalizer. Each time, the final touch or decision deserted them. Lugano held firm and will carry a one-goal advantage into the second leg.
Miller, though, drew encouragement from what he saw after halftime.
“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, birthday goal scorer and nearly the hero, cut a more conflicted figure.
“Honestly, I would have been much happier if we had won and received the perfect birthday present. I’m happy about the goal, but unfortunately we lost in the end,” he said. “Nevertheless, we fully believe that with the support of the fans next week in Batumi, we will get the job done.”
So the equation is clear. Hapoel head to Miskolc level and unbowed after standing toe-to-toe with Atalanta. Maccabi return to Batumi trailing but convinced they can overturn a narrow deficit. Two ties, two thin margins, and one decisive week to define their European autumn.
