The Yellow & Blue defeated Radnicki 2:0 in the first leg of second round Europa League qualifying at the Netanya Stadium on Thursday July 26, 2018. Maccabi Tel Aviv will look to advance to the third round after the return leg next Thursday, August 2nd against Radnicki in Nis, Serbia. Icelandic striker Vidar Kjartansson scored a second half brace with the second goal coming on a penalty after he had been pulled down in the box.

Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajkovic, Eli Dasa, Jair Amador, Eitan Tibi, Enric Saborit, Avi Rikan, Dor Peretz, Dor Micha, Omer Atzily, Eliran Atar, Vidar Kjartansson.

Available on the bench were Haviv Ohayon, Itay Shechter, Matan Hozez, Sheran Yeini, Eyal Golasa, Aaron Schoenfeld, Ruslan Barsky.

Also on the Website:
Ivic: “This was just the first half, we must work hard towards next week”
Kjartansson: “Credit to the team. We created many chances”
First Half
With the first leg at home in the Netanya Stadium, Maccabi looked to take an early lead and almost did so in the 6’ when Rikan gave Atar a beautiful ball down the left side. The winger sliced into the box but his well taken strike was saved by the Radnicki keeper Mladen Zivkovic. Two minuets later Tibi gave Kjartansson a wonderful pass but his effort went off the bar and in the 9’ Atar’s opportunity was also stopped by Zivkovic.

It looked like the Yellow & Blue took the lead in the 16’ when Kjartansson headed the ball behind the Radnicki keeper but the play was ruled offside. The Icelandic striker left Atzily the ball in the 23’ but his attempt from 25 meters sailed out and five minutes later Rikan’s low blast just went by the right post and out.

Dasa was issued a yellow card in the 35’ while three minutes later Kjartansson handed Atzily the ball in the box but his shot went into the Radnicki defense and was cleared. In the 41’ Atzily’s shot from the top of the box was handled easily by Zivkovic, while Rikan’s off balance attempt three minutes later went just by the right post and out as the half ended goalless.

Second Half
Coach Ivic made his first substitution at the start of the second half introducing Eyal Golasa in favor of Rikan to freshen up the attack and it didn’t take long for Maccabi to find the back of the goal soon thereafter. Atzily sent a pass to Kjartansson who took a sharp angled shot from the right of the goal and slid the ball behind the keeper for a 1:0 lead in the 51’.

Atzily and Atar teamed up in the 55’ when the former sent the latter a corner to the top of the box, but number 16’s shot got tangled up in the Radnicki defense. Bondatenko tried his luck for the visitor’s in the 57’ from 17 meters but his effort went over the bar and 8 minutes later Peretz headed Atzily’s corner towards the goal but Zivkovic made a miraculous save to keep the score as is.

Matan Hozez replaced Atar in the 66’ and two minutes later Micic stole the ball in the midfield but his attempt was saved by Rajkovic. As Maccabi looked for their second goal of the match, Kjartansson was pulled down in the box and converted the penalty from 11 meters to give the Yellow & Blue a 2:0 advantage in the 68’.

Atzily tried his luck from 25’ but just missed the goal in the 74’ while number 7 took a well timed shot from the top right hand corner of the box but the ball just cleared the bar and went out. The aforementioned Atzily then was issued a yellow card in the 77’ and a second yellow resulting in a red card three minutes later after the referee ruled that he had simulated in the box. Ruslan Barsky was Ivic’s third substitution for Micha in the 85’ as Maccabi Tel Aviv wrapped up a 2:0 first leg victory with the return leg slated for next Thursday, August 2nd in Nis, Serbia.