The Yellow & Blue fell 4:0 to Astana in Kazakhstan on Matchday 3 of the Europa League. Patrick Twumasi scored two first half goals, the opening strike via penalty while Junior Kabananga added a brace of his own in half number two. Maccabi Tel Aviv will now return to Israel on Friday and get ready for a Monday night Israel Premier League clash at Hapoel Beer Sheva.
Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI has a number of wrinkles in it but the keeper position wasn’t one of them as Serbian shot stopper Predrag Rajikovic was in goal. Yuval Shpungin, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Tal Ben Haim and Ofir Davidzada were the defenders, while captain Sheran Yeini was in the midfield along with Cristian Battocchio and Dor Peretz. Nick Blackman, Tino Susic and Vidar Kjartansson provided the attack up front.
Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Omer Atzily, Eliran Atar, Egor Filipenka, Avi Rikan, Eitan Tibi, Tomer Altman.
First Half
After ten minutes of back and forth play, Serikzhan Muzhikov picked up a yellow card for a reckless tackle in the 13’. Four minutes later Patrick Twumasi’s free kick was collected by Rajikovic while in the 19’ Junior Kabananga’s chance from inside the box just missed the target.
Maccabi’s first opportunity came in the 20’ when Battocchio’s scorcher was deflected over the goal. Astana continued to pressure the Yellow & Blue goal as Dmitri Shomko and Abzal Beysebekov each he chances in the 23’ and 27’ respectively. However, the pressure paid off in the 32’ as Yeini conceded a foul for a reckless tackle at the top of the Maccabi box.
The ensuing free kick was blocked by Peretz’s hand in the box as he was issued a yellow card while Astana was handed a penalty. Twumasi stepped up and slotted the ball to Rajikovic’s right for a 1:0 Astana lead in the 33’. Nick Blackman picked up a yellow card seven minutes later as Astana looked for a second goal. And a second goal they would find as Twumasi scored a spectacular strike from in front of Rajiko as Astana doubled their advantage in the 43’, 2:0.
Second Half
Cruyff made 2 substitutions at the half bringing on Eliran Atar and Avi Rikan for Tino Susic and Dor Peretz to jump start the offense. But it was Astana who found the back of the goal again in the 47’ as Kabananga’s long distance strike from the top right of the box beat Rajikovic as he dove to his left giving the hosts a 3:0 lead. Atar left a ball for Davidzada in the 50’ who sent it to Vidar but the Icelander’s header went out.
But things went from bad to worse two minutes later as Kabananga took a ball from Shomko and beat Rajikovic from the top of the box as the hosts went up 4:0. Eitan Tibi replaces Vidar Kjartansson in the 75’ as play continued to slow down with the match ending in a 4:0 win to Astana.
Maccabi will now look ahead to Monday’s Israel Premier League contest at Hapoel Beer Sheva.
