Maccabi Tel Aviv players starred in Young Israel's 7-2 thrashing of Azerbaijan in Israel's first Under-21 European championship qualifier. Barak Levi opened in goal
Two of Maccabi Tel Aviv's brightest young stars, midfielder Dor Micha and striker Moannes Dabbur, both scored braces and MTA's gifted young goalkeeper Barak Levi played the full 90 minutes in Young Israel's convincing 7-2 victory over Azerbaijan in the opening tie of Israel's Under-21 European championship campaign. The match started brightly for the Israeli side with two quick goals in the first four minutes, the first a Moannes Dabbur strike from close range and the second a penalty drawn by Dabbur but taken by Maccabi teammate Dor Micha, his maiden goal for the Under-21s. And all this under the watchful eyes of Maccabi head coach Paulo Sousa and his assistants Nacho Torreno and Victor Sanchez, who arrived at the stadium in Netanya to see their charges in stellar form.
Dabbur completed his brace just after the restart, his sixth goal in Under-21 duty. Micha completed his brace just after the hour mark when he put Israel in front 4-1. Maccabi Tel Aviv's contribution to the goalfest continued through the fifth goal as well, when Micha's long ball reached Dabbur, who left it to Ironi Kiryat Shmona's young striker Ofir Mizrachi to roll the ball into a wide-open net. Mizrachi too scored a brace and ex-Maccabi midfielder Dia Saba (now Maccabi Petah Tikva), who replaced Dabbur in the second half, finished off the onslaught in injury time with Israel's seventh goal of the match.
Maccabi Tel Aviv's young goalkeeper Barak Levi and midfielder Dor Micha both played the full 90 minutes in their first official appearances for Israel's Under-21s after having made previous appearances in international friendlies, two for Levi and eight for Micha. Moannes Dabbur marked his 15th appearance for the Under-21s with 75 minutes of play and his second brace in national kit. Young Israel's next match in the Under-21 European championship qualifying rounds will see head coach Michael Nees' charges play away to Portugal on October 10th.
