Maccabi Tel Aviv Nears European Season After Dominant Win Over Sheriff Tiraspol

Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel's State Cup holder, secured a comprehensive aggregate victory over Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. After a commanding 5-0 win in the first leg, Maccabi won the second leg 1-0 thanks to an own goal, effectively sealing their advancement. This victory adds half a point to Israel's UEFA coefficient.

In the next qualifying round, Maccabi will face the winner of the tie between Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia and Azerbaijan's Qarabag, who drew 0-0 in their first leg. A win in this round would propel Maccabi into the Europa League playoff stage, while a loss would drop them into the UEFA Europa Conference League playoffs. Success there would still guarantee a European campaign for the season.

Meanwhile, Hapoel Be'er Sheva advanced to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and will meet Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. A win would send them to the Champions League playoffs, with a loss relegating them to the Europa League playoffs. Further defeat would see them enter the Conference League.

Other Israeli clubs are also competing in European qualifiers: Beitar Jerusalem is currently trailing 1-0 to AEK Larnaca in Cyprus, with the aggregate tied at 1-1, while Hapoel Tel Aviv holds a 2-0 advantage away against Bulgarian side Ludogorets.

These results highlight a strong Israeli presence in European competitions this season, with multiple clubs still vying for group stage participation across UEFA tournaments.