Internationally acclaimed journalist Michael Yokhin joined Lior Timor and Asaf Shemesh on the Maccabi-Cast as they broke down Zenit and what Maccabi can expect from the St. Petersburg side:
The weather factor:
“Maccabi looks like they’ll have some good luck with the weather in Zenit as it won’t be as cold as it could be, so that’s a plus in their favor.”
Importance of the match for Zenit:
“There are a few players who are hurt on the Zenit side but it may not really make a difference as they have already advanced to the next round. However, this is a very important game and crucial for Russia in general as the country is battling Portugal for the 6th overall place in UEFA Rankings. This position is worth two Champions League spots for the 2018/19 season whereas 7th place allows just one team to head into the Champions League. That all being said, Zenit knows the better they finish now in the Europa League will help them out a few years down the road to get into the Champions League so they will be highly motivated. Every point from here on in is critical for them.”
Looking back and going forward:
“This was one of the greatest comebacks in football history and it was heavily covered by all the media throughout the world. They aren’t looking back but ahead as Zenit will be going on a long break coming up so they will be going all out for the game against Maccabi including Axel Witsel and others.”
About Giuliano:
“He is a real up and coming gem of a player. He had played with Dnipro and the coach Mircea Lucescu wanted him when he was coaching Shakhtar so he was known to the manger. No one thought he would be as good as he has turned out to be which was a replacement for Hulk. He was involved in all four goals in Netanya scoring one and assisting on the three others.”
The keys for Maccabi:
“Maccabi will need to be calm and patient and make sure not to do anything off the cuff on the hard and cold pitch that awaits them. They can’t make the same mistakes they did in the last 13 minutes in Netanya and the defense has to be very vigilant. A draw would be a decent result as well.”
The Petrovsky Stadium:
“The Stadium is old and they are working on opening up a new stadium which was supposed to debut back in 2009 but is still under construction. The fans will have a good time and again the weather is not that bad.”
