Having successfully come through the qualifying phase, Maccabi will kick off their Conference League group stage with a home match against Icelandic outfit Breidablik (Bloomfield, 22:00).
While Maccabi features in the Conference League for the second time, their opponents set a record by becoming the first Icelandic team to have reached a European group stage.
Photo: Knattspyrnudeild Breiðabliks Facebook ()
After winning the championship last season, Breidablik began their qualifying campaign in the Champions League. Victories over Tre Penne of Sanb Marino (7-1) and Montenegrin outfit Buducnost Podgorica (5-0) in the Preliminary round saw Breidablik face Shamrock Rovers. A 3-1 victory on aggregate over the Irish side in the first qualifying round, led to a tie against neighboring Copenhagen where the Icelanders were beaten 8-3 on aggregate. Bosnia’s Zrinjski Mostar were the next opponents in the Europa League 3rd qualifying round as Breidablik began the tie with a 1-0 win in the first leg but suffered a 2-6 defeat in the return leg as well as a transfer to the Conference League Play-off round. Breidablik won both legs of the tie against North Macedonia’s Struga by the same 1-0 result to secure a first group stage berth for the first time in their country’s history.
Their domestic league is well underway as after 23 league rounds, they are currently third in the standings having won 11, drawn 5 and lost 7. However, Breidablik will arrive at Bloomfield on the back of three league defeats to Vikingur Reykjavik (3-5), Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjaroar (0-2), with another (0-2) defeat to Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjaroar at the weekend – this time in the top Play-off.
Photo: Knattspyrnudeild Breiðabliks Facebook ()
Breidablik are guided by 49-year-old Icelandic coach, Óskar Hrafn Porvaldsson as their squad consists mostly of home-grown local players. Breidablik has two foreigners only from the neighboring Faroe Islands in strikers Patrik Johannesen (28) and Klemint Andrasson Olsen (33) who is the team’s leading goal scorer in the league with 5.
Another leading player is Breidablik’s right-back and captain Höskuldur Gunnlaugsson who scored 4 league goals and 6 in all competitions this season.
Photo: Knattspyrnudeild Breiðabliks Facebook ()
