Vidar Kjartansson’s 48th minute goal was the difference maker in a 1:0 win over Greek side Panionios. The second leg will take place in Athens next Thursday night as Maccabi will look to advance to the Europa League Playoff Round.
Head Coach Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI featured keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defense of Ofir Davidzada, Eitan Tibi, Tal Ben Haim and Yuval Shpungin in front of him. Captain Sheran Yeini, Eyal Golasa and Cristian Battocchio with Omer Atzily and Aaron Schoenfeld on the wings were in the midfield while Vidar Kjartansson played in front.
Available on the bench was keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Avi Rikan, Dor Peretz, Eliel Peretz, Shlomi Azulay, Barak Itzhaki and Yonatan Cohen.
First Half
The Greeks had the first chance of the contest when Samed Yesil headed the ball into the side of the goal in the 8th minute while over the next few minutes Maccabi made some noise in front of the Panionios goal to no avail. In the 22nd minute Battocchio took a long low shot that just grazed the left post and went out as the Yellow & Blue looked to get onto the board. Three minutes later Kjartansson picked up a yellow card while Saramantas missed wide left of Maccabi’s goal in the 29th minute.
Atzily’s free kick made its way to Davidzada who left the ball for Tibi in the box but he couldn’t connect properly in the 31st minute. Eight minutes later Atzily swung a corner in from the right side that met Schoenfeld’s head, but the ball flew over the bar while in the 43rd minute Yeini’s scorcher from long range flew over the goal as the match remained scoreless at the break.
Second Half
With Macabi looking for a goal out of the break they found one via Kjartansson from the top of the box as he pounced on a ball left by Schoenfeld and launched a laser beam into the back of the Panionios goal for a 1:0 lead in the 48th minute. Five minutes later Davidzada left a ball for Golasa but his blast went wide of the target while Shpungin picked up a yellow card a minute later.
Atzily took a 25 meter attempt from outside of the box but the Greek keeper made the save in the 68th minute while Barak Itzhaki came on for number 7 in the 74th minute. Lamprou took a weak shot as Rajikovic made the save in the 77th minute and two minutes later Vidar lofted a ball into the box that Schoenfeld just headed wide right of the goal.
In the 82nd minute Cruyff made his second substitution of the contest introducing Dor Peretz in favor of Captain Sheran Yeini while Avi Rikan came on three minutes later for Kjartansson. Battocchio took a chance from outside of the box but Kotenko made the save in the 88th minute as Lamprou tried his luck from long distance as well as the ball flew way over Rajikovic’s goal.
After five minutes of injury time, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match as Maccabi will take a slim 1:0 win into the second leg next Thursday in Athens, Greece.
